Downfall

Downfall, a horror title from 2016, places distinct demands on the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER pairing. The measured FPS data reveals a configuration that is heavily influenced by resolution, with the GPU emerging as the primary bottleneck at higher settings. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, contextualizes it within the broader benchmark database, and interprets what the numbers indicate about this specific component combination.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and tells a clear story about which component is the limiting factor. At Medium settings, the average frame rate falls from 156 FPS at 1920x1080 to 112 FPS at 2560x1440, a 28% reduction, and then plummets to 69 FPS at 3840x2160, which is a further 38% drop. This pattern of steep decline with each resolution increase is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 2060 SUPER, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, is being pushed harder as the pixel count rises, and its performance ceiling becomes the limiting factor.

At High settings, the scaling follows a similar trajectory, with the average FPS going from 128 at 1080p to 92 at 1440p and then to 57 at 4K. The difference between the 1440p and 4K results is particularly telling; a 38% performance hit suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is being saturated by the larger frame buffers and higher texture detail. The data implies that the Core Ultra 5 245, with its 14 cores and 14 threads, has ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but its contribution becomes less significant as the resolution increases.

The scaling from High to Ultra is also informative. At 4K, Ultra settings yield a 36 FPS average, which is 37% lower than High's 57 FPS. This massive penalty for the highest preset suggests that Ultra introduces effects that are particularly taxing on the GPU's compute capabilities, specifically its 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The 1080p to 4K scaling at Ultra (80 FPS down to 36 FPS) is a 55% reduction, further cementing the idea that this is a GPU-limited configuration at the highest visual fidelity. The data strongly suggests that to maintain playable frame rates, users must be mindful of the resolution and preset combination, as the GPU is clearly the component that dictates the overall performance envelope.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Downfall, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER holds a combo rank of 2630 out of 3716 tested combos. This places it in the lower third of all configurations, which is a significant data point. It indicates that while this setup is far from the bottom, it is also not positioned for high-refresh-rate or maximum-fidelity gaming at higher resolutions. The rank suggests that a majority of other tested combos deliver higher average frame rates in this specific horror title.

The CPU itself is a strong performer, sitting in the 90th percentile against all CPUs in the benchmark database. Its average benchmark score of 48995 places it in close competition with rivals like the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, which is 0.4% ahead, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which is 0.5% ahead. The CPU is also slightly ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H by 0.6% and the Intel Core i5-14600K by 0.8%. This indicates the processor is not the source of the combo's lower ranking. The processor has the raw multi-threaded capability to avoid being a bottleneck in most gaming scenarios.

The GPU, however, is a different story. The RTX 2060 SUPER sits in the 62nd percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18093. Its nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (0.4% ahead) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (0.5% ahead), show it is a mid-range performer. The gap between the CPU's high percentile (90th) and the GPU's lower percentile (62nd) is the primary reason for the combo's overall rank of 2630. This pairing is a classic case of a powerful processor being mated with a less capable graphics card, resulting in a system that is not optimized for maximum gaming throughput. The data implies that the combo rank is dragged down by the GPU's performance ceiling in this title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture and features 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. Its memory configuration is an 8 GB GDDR6 frame buffer on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1470 MHz, with a boost clock of 1650 MHz. These specifications point to a card that was designed for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming and capable 1440p performance, but it is not a 4K powerhouse.

In Downfall, the GPU's role is clearly the dominant factor in frame rate determination, as evidenced by the resolution scaling. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's demands, as no memory-related stutters or min FPS anomalies are present in the data. However, the raw compute power of 7.181 TFLOPS is the limiting factor at higher settings. The transition from Medium to Ultra at 4K, where the average FPS drops from 69 to 36, highlights how the GPU's shading units and texture rate (224.4 GTexel/s) are overwhelmed by the increased visual complexity.

The GPU's performance relative to its peers is modest. It is only 0.4% behind the RTX 3060 Mobile and 0.5% behind the Radeon Pro 5700 in average benchmark scores. This suggests that in Downfall, the RTX 2060 SUPER is performing as expected for its class. The data shows that it can handle 1080p and 1440p with ease at Medium and High settings, but the Ultra preset and 4K resolution push it beyond its comfort zone. The boost clock of 1650 MHz is the maximum sustained frequency, but the card is likely not maintaining this during heavy 4K loads, which contributes to the lower frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings for this combo?

A: The measured average FPS is 128 at 1920x1080 with High settings.

Q: How does the performance at 4K Ultra compare to 1080p Ultra?

A: The average FPS at 4K Ultra is 36, which is a 55% reduction from the 80 FPS average measured at 1080p Ultra.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 a high-performance CPU relative to others in the database?

A: Yes, it ranks in the 90th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48995.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking compared to all other GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is in the 62nd percentile, with an average benchmark score of 18093.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo in the measured data?

A: The lowest average FPS is 36, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: Does the data suggest that the GPU is the primary bottleneck for this system?

A: Yes, the steep FPS drops with increasing resolution and settings, combined with the GPU's lower percentile rank compared to the CPU, strongly indicate the GPU is the limiting component.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 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 is a powerful desktop processor, and its benchmark scores reflect that. It achieves a multi-core score of 32924 in Cinebench R23 and a single-core score of 4648. In PassMark, it scores 38706 in multithread and 4394 in single-thread tests. These numbers place it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, indicating a very capable processor.

In the context of Downfall, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The high core count and fast boost clock mean it is more than capable of handling the game's logic and physics calculations without becoming a bottleneck. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p, the system can achieve an average of 191 FPS at Low settings, which indicates the CPU can feed the GPU with enough frames to reach high frame rates. However, as the resolution increases, the frame rate drops, suggesting that the CPU's job becomes easier as the GPU takes longer to render each frame.

The lack of a bottleneck is further supported by the CPU's performance relative to its rivals. It is only 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G and 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 7900. This shows that the Core Ultra 5 245 is in the same performance tier as other high-end processors. In this specific game, the 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 14 cores provide more than enough processing power for the horror title's demands. The data implies that upgrading the CPU would not yield significant performance gains in Downfall at higher resolutions, as the GPU is the clear limiting factor.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired smoothness. For 4K gaming, the data shows that the Medium preset is the only viable option for a playable experience, with an average FPS of 69. High settings at 4K drop the average to 57 FPS, which may be acceptable for some, but Ultra at 36 FPS is likely too choppy for a smooth horror experience. The Low preset at 4K offers a comfortable 85 FPS average, but this comes at a significant visual quality cost.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset provides an excellent balance, with an average FPS of 112 and a minimum FPS of 95, ensuring a consistently smooth experience. The High preset is also a strong choice, with an average of 92 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p, with an average of 57 FPS, is playable but may have noticeable dips in more demanding scenes. For 1080p, the High preset is the sweet spot, delivering an average of 128 FPS. The Medium preset is even smoother at 156 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 191 FPS, which is useful for competitive or high-refresh-rate displays.

The data suggests that the best experience for this hardware is to target 1080p or 1440p with Medium or High settings. These combinations provide high average FPS and, in the case of Medium, a respectable minimum FPS. The Ultra preset should be avoided at 4K, as the 36 FPS average indicates a performance level that would likely detract from the game's atmosphere due to stuttering. For a horror game where immersion is key, a stable frame rate is more important than maximum visual fidelity, making the Medium preset at 1440p or the High preset at 1080p the recommended choices.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured FPS data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER in Downfall is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average FPS of 191. The Medium preset averages 156 FPS, with a minimum of 133 and a maximum of 180. The High preset averages 128 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 80 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset produces an average FPS of 136. The Medium preset averages 112 FPS, with a minimum of 95 and a maximum of 128. The High preset averages 92 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 57 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves an average FPS of 85. The Medium preset averages 69 FPS, with a minimum of 59 and a maximum of 80. The High preset averages 57 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 36 FPS.

This data illustrates the performance curve of the combo. The FPS is highest at 1080p Low and decreases consistently as both resolution and settings are increased. The gap between High and Ultra is particularly pronounced at 4K, where the average FPS drops from 57 to 36, a 37% reduction. This breakdown confirms that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting component, as the CPU's performance headroom is not fully utilized when the GPU is under maximum load. The data provides a clear map for users to find their preferred balance between visual quality and frame rate.