Downfall

Downfall is a 2016 horror title that stresses the GPU heavily, and the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti produces a wide spread of frame rates depending on the resolution and preset selected. The measured data shows a system that is capable of delivering playable performance at lower settings, but which quickly becomes strained when pushed to higher resolutions and quality presets. This analysis walks through the measured FPS rows to interpret what the numbers mean for the limiting component, the GPU's role, and the optimal settings for this specific hardware pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 reveals a dramatic performance drop that clearly identifies the graphics card as the primary bottleneck. At Low settings, average FPS falls from 147 at 1080p to 105 at 1440p, then to 65 at 4K. That represents a 55.8% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, which is a steep scaling curve consistent with a GPU that is running out of pixel throughput and memory bandwidth at higher resolutions. The GTX 1660 Ti, with its 192-bit memory bus and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth, is being saturated as the pixel count increases.

The Medium preset shows a similar pattern, with average FPS dropping from 120 at 1080p to 86 at 1440p and then to 53 at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 38.4%, while the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 28.3%. This non-linear scaling indicates that the GPU is increasingly the limiting factor as resolution rises, with the core and memory clocks unable to compensate for the additional pixel workload. The CPU, with its 14 cores and 14 threads, is not the constraint here; the data points to a purely graphics-bound scenario at higher resolutions.

At High settings, the scaling is even more pronounced. The average FPS goes from 99 at 1080p to 70 at 1440p, a 29.3% drop, and then to 44 at 4K, another 37.1% drop. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with average FPS falling from 62 at 1080p to 44 at 1440p and then to 27 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 27 FPS is barely interactive, confirming that this combination is not suited for maximum quality at the highest resolution. The data consistently shows that the GTX 1660 Ti is the limiting component across all settings, with the CPU's performance headroom going unused as resolution scales up.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is a Turing-architecture part with 1536 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. Its base clock is 1500 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, and it features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. In Downfall, these specifications translate to a GPU that can handle 1080p gaming comfortably at lower presets but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU's pixel rate of 84.96 GPixel/s and texture rate of 169.9 GTexel/s are sufficient for 1080p Medium, which delivers 120 FPS on average, but the same hardware drops to 53 FPS at 4K Medium, indicating a clear memory bandwidth and fill-rate limitation.

The VRAM capacity of 6 GB is a factor in this game's results, particularly at higher resolutions where texture data demands more memory. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 27, and while the exact VRAM usage is not measured, the steep drop from Medium to Ultra at the same resolution (53 to 27 FPS) suggests that the GPU is not only bandwidth-bound but also potentially hitting memory capacity limits. The GTX 1660 Ti occupies the 41st percentile among all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 7723 places it near the AMD Radeon 540, which scores 7673 with a delta of 0.7%. This means the GPU is a mid-to-low tier part by current standards, and Downfall's demanding horror visuals push it to its limits.

The GPU's DirectX 12 performance, as measured by PassMark, is 51, which is lower than its DirectX 11 score of 103 and DirectX 10 score of 66. This is relevant because Downfall may utilize DirectX 12 features, and the relatively weak DX12 showing could explain why higher presets at 4K result in such low frame rates. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1061 further confirms that the GPU is not optimized for modern API workloads. The data indicates that the GTX 1660 Ti is best utilized at 1080p with Medium to High settings, where its strengths in raw pixel throughput are not overwhelmed by memory bandwidth demands.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance for this combo is the Medium preset at 1920x1080, which delivers an average of 120 FPS with a minimum of 102 FPS and a maximum of 138 FPS. This is the only preset at 1080p that maintains a frame rate above 100 FPS throughout, ensuring smooth gameplay in a horror title where responsiveness matters. The High preset at 1080p drops to 99 FPS on average, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The Low preset at 1080p achieves 147 FPS on average, but it sacrifices visual fidelity that may be important for the game's atmosphere, so Medium is the sweet spot.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset yields 86 FPS on average with a minimum of 73 FPS, which is acceptable for most players but not ideal for a horror game that may have sudden frame-time spikes. The High preset at 1440p drops to 70 FPS, and the Low preset delivers 105 FPS, but the Medium preset offers the best balance of quality and performance for this resolution. For 4K, no preset achieves a consistently playable frame rate: Medium averages 53 FPS with a minimum of 45 FPS, which is borderline, while High and Ultra average 44 FPS and 27 FPS respectively. The data suggests that 4K is not a viable option for this GPU, even at Low settings where the average FPS is 65, because the minimum frame rates are not recorded and the overall experience would be inconsistent.

For players prioritizing a stable frame rate, the Low preset at 1080p is the safest choice, delivering 147 FPS on average. However, the Medium preset at 1080p provides a 21.2% higher average FPS than High (120 vs 99) while still maintaining a minimum above 100 FPS, making it the recommended preset for this hardware. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as even at 1080p it only averages 62 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for smooth gameplay.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured FPS shows a clear progression across presets. Low settings yield an average of 147 FPS, Medium yields 120 FPS with a minimum of 102 and maximum of 138, High yields 99 FPS, and Ultra yields 62 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 85 FPS, indicating that the GPU has significant headroom at the lowest preset but is heavily taxed at the highest. The Medium preset's minimum of 102 FPS ensures no drops below the 100 FPS mark, which is critical for maintaining smooth motion in a horror game where stuttering can break immersion.

At 2560x1440, the numbers scale down proportionally. Low settings average 105 FPS, Medium averages 86 FPS with a minimum of 73 and maximum of 99, High averages 70 FPS, and Ultra averages 44 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 73 FPS is above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the only 1440p preset that guarantees playable performance. The drop from 1080p Medium to 1440p Medium is 34 FPS, or 28.3%, which is a significant reduction that reflects the increased pixel workload.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overmatched. Low settings average 65 FPS, Medium averages 53 FPS with a minimum of 45 and maximum of 61, High averages 44 FPS, and Ultra averages 27 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 45 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold, and even the maximum of 61 FPS is only marginally playable. The Ultra preset's 27 FPS average is a slideshow, confirming that 4K is not a practical resolution for this combo. The data across all three resolutions shows a consistent pattern: the GTX 1660 Ti is capable of 60+ FPS at 1080p for all presets except Ultra, but at 4K it falls below 60 FPS for all presets.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in Downfall?

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all presets except Ultra maintain an average FPS above 90. At 1440p, the High and Ultra presets drop to 70 FPS and 44 FPS respectively, while at 4K, even Low settings only average 65 FPS. The 1080p resolution is the most reliable for consistent performance.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: No, the data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The Core Ultra 5 245 has 14 cores and 14 threads with a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, and its benchmark scores (e.g., 32924 in Cinebench R23 multicore) are far above what Downfall requires. The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are consistent with a GPU bottleneck, not a CPU one.

Q: Is the GTX 1660 Ti's 6 GB VRAM sufficient for Downfall?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, the VRAM appears adequate, as the GPU maintains playable frame rates at Medium settings. However, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 27, and the steep performance decline suggests that the 6 GB capacity may be exceeded, contributing to the low frame rates.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 Ti compare to its nearest rivals in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The GTX 1660 Ti has an average benchmark score of 7723, which is 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon 540's 7673, 1.9% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100's 7580, and 2.2% higher than the AMD Radeon R7 250's 7557. It also outperforms the Intel Arc A310 by 2.3%, which scores 7550.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 1440p Medium, and is it playable?

A: The minimum FPS at 1440p Medium is 73, with an average of 86 and a maximum of 99. This minimum is above the 60 FPS threshold, making it a playable option, though the average is lower than the 120 FPS seen at 1080p Medium.

Q: Should I use the Ultra preset at 1080p?

A: The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 62 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS standard but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 120 FPS, nearly double the Ultra frame rate, so the visual quality gain from Ultra may not justify the performance loss.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32924 and single-core score of 4648 place it in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48995. This is a high-performance desktop processor that is not the limiting factor in Downfall, as evidenced by the FPS scaling patterns that show a clear GPU bottleneck. The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, which scores 49196 (0.4% higher), and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which scores 49228 (0.5% higher), while the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698 (0.6% lower) and the Intel Core i5-14600K scores 48618 (0.8% lower).

In Downfall, a horror game that likely relies on single-threaded performance for game logic and multi-threaded performance for asset streaming, the Core Ultra 5 245's 14 cores provide ample headroom. The PassMark multithread score of 38706 and single-thread score of 4394 indicate that the CPU can handle any background tasks without impacting frame rates. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 147, which is likely near the upper limit of what the GTX 1660 Ti can produce, and the CPU is not constraining this. The fact that FPS drops by 28% when moving from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings, while the CPU's workload does not change proportionally, confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth are more than sufficient for this game's demands, and the 65W TDP suggests efficient power delivery that does not thermal throttle under gaming loads.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti ranks 2520 out of 2928 tested combos for Downfall. This places the combo in the 14th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning that 408 combos perform worse and 2519 perform better. The low ranking is primarily due to the GPU's age and tier, as the GTX 1660 Ti is an end-of-life product from 2019, while the CPU is a current-generation part from 2025. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs contrasts starkly with the GPU's 41st percentile ranking, highlighting the imbalance in this pairing.

The combo's rank of 2520 reflects that it is in the lower quartile of tested systems for this game. The GPU's average benchmark score of 7723, which is 41% of the maximum possible score, drags down the overall performance. In comparison, a system with a stronger GPU would likely rank much higher, as the CPU provides more than enough processing power. The measured FPS data supports this: at 1080p Medium, the combo achieves 120 FPS, which is respectable, but at 4K Ultra, it only manages 27 FPS, which is near the bottom of what would be considered playable. The ranking of 2520 out of 2928 indicates that most other tested combos deliver better performance in Downfall, likely due to more balanced GPU-CPU pairings. The combo's position in the rankings is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations, not the CPU's capabilities, and players using this hardware should target 1080p or 1440p with Medium settings to get the best experience.