Downfall

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a solid, high-refresh-rate experience in Downfall, but the data reveals a clear performance ceiling. This combination ranks 1547th out of 2928 tested combos, placing it in the upper half of all systems but not among the elite. The benchmark results show a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet capable of exceptional frame rates at 1080p. Here is a breakdown of how this hardware behaves in this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and tells a clear story about where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 152 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 108 FPS, a 29% reduction. Pushing further to 4K yields just 67 FPS, which is a 56% drop from the 1080p result. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario; the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H has enough headroom to feed the RTX 4070 at lower resolutions, but the graphics card’s workload becomes the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The trend is even more pronounced at Ultra settings. The system manages 95 FPS at 1080p, but that falls to 68 FPS at 1440p and collapses to 42 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is less than half of the 1080p Ultra score. This indicates that the 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and the GPU’s compute throughput are saturated by the combination of high resolution and maximum graphical fidelity. The CPU, with its 16 cores and 22 threads, does not appear to be the constraint here, as the frame rate scales inversely with resolution in a predictable, GPU-dominated fashion.

Interestingly, the gap between 1440p and 4K is larger than the gap between 1080p and 1440p. At High settings, 1440p is 71% of the 1080p score, while 4K is only 62% of the 1440p score. This nonlinear drop suggests that the RTX 4070’s memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s and its 192-bit bus become significant hurdles at 4K. For a horror title where maintaining immersion is key, the data suggests that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, offering a substantial improvement over 4K without sacrificing visual quality.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows show a clear hierarchy of performance across the four presets. At 1080p, Low settings yield 226 FPS, Medium drops to 185 FPS, High to 152 FPS, and Ultra to 95 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium is a 18% performance hit, while the jump from High to Ultra is a 37% hit. This makes Ultra a costly option in terms of frame rate for what is likely a marginal visual gain in a horror game’s dark environments.

At 1440p, the same pattern holds: Low produces 162 FPS, Medium 132 FPS, High 108 FPS, and Ultra 68 FPS. Here, the Medium preset stands out as the most balanced choice. It maintains an average above 120 FPS, which is smooth for fast-paced gameplay, and the minimum FPS of 112 ensures that frame pacing remains consistent during intense scenes. High is also viable at 1440p, but the 24 FPS drop from Medium to High is more noticeable than the visual improvements in most horror settings, which often rely on lighting and shadow effects rather than texture density.

For 4K, the choices are more constrained. Medium is the only preset that delivers a playable experience, averaging 82 FPS with a minimum of 70 FPS. High drops to 67 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience, while Ultra at 42 FPS is not recommended for anything other than screenshots. Low at 4K produces 101 FPS, but the visual compromises are likely too severe for a game that relies on atmosphere. The data suggests that for this combo, Medium is the default recommendation at 1440p, with High being a reasonable alternative if you prioritize visuals over a higher frame rate buffer.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Downfall at 4K with playable frame rates?*

A: Yes, but only at Medium settings. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Medium settings is 82 FPS, with a minimum of 70 FPS. High settings drop to 67 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 42 FPS, which is not smooth enough for most players.

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this hardware?

A: The data indicates 2560x1440 is the optimal resolution. At High settings, it delivers 108 FPS, and at Medium settings it reaches 132 FPS. This provides a strong balance between visual fidelity and high refresh rate performance, avoiding the steep performance penalty seen at 4K.

Q: How does the GPU’s VRAM capacity affect performance in this game?

A: The RTX 4070 has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory. The benchmark results show that performance scales down significantly at 4K Ultra, dropping to 42 FPS. While VRAM capacity is not the only factor, the 192-bit memory bus and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth appear to be a limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the frame rate drops disproportionately compared to lower resolution settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low settings, the system produces 226 FPS, which is a very high frame rate. This suggests the GPU is still the primary limiter, but the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H has sufficient single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1743) to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at these settings. The frame rate drops are consistent with GPU workload increases as settings rise.

Q: Should I use the Ultra preset?

A: Only if you have a 1080p monitor and prioritize maximum visual quality over frame rate. At 1080p, Ultra yields 95 FPS, which is playable. At 1440p, Ultra drops to 68 FPS, and at 4K it becomes 42 FPS. For most players, the Medium or High presets offer a better experience.

Q: How does this combo compare to the RTX 4080 Mobile in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37648, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135. This represents a delta of -1.3%, meaning the RTX 4070 is slightly behind the RTX 4080 Mobile in average synthetic performance, though the in-game results will vary based on other system components.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 holds a rank of 1547 out of 2928 combos. This places it in the 53rd percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms slightly more than half of the configurations in the database for Downfall. This is a respectable position, indicating that the hardware is well-matched for this title but does not push into the top tier of performance.

The rank is influenced by both components. The CPU itself sits in the 83rd percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 32697. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600T, scores 32707, a negligible 0% delta. The GPU, meanwhile, is in the 81st percentile of all graphics cards, with an average score of 37648. The data shows that while both components are above average, neither is a top-tier performer, which explains the mid-pack ranking for the combo.

Compared to other tested combos, this system’s rank suggests that it will handle Downfall well at mainstream resolutions. The 1080p High result of 152 FPS and 1440p High result of 108 FPS are strong indicators of a smooth experience. The 4K performance, while playable at Medium, is where the combo loses ground to higher-ranked systems with more powerful GPUs. For a horror game that benefits from high frame rates to maintain tension, this rank is more than adequate, but it is not the definitive high-end setup.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the dominant component in this pairing for Downfall. Its specifications—12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus with 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth—are directly reflected in the scaling patterns. The GPU’s boost clock of 2475 MHz and 5888 shading units provide substantial compute power, but the memory subsystem becomes a limiting factor as resolution increases. The 4K Ultra result of 42 FPS is a clear indicator that the GPU is saturated, as the CPU is not likely to be the cause of such a dramatic drop.

The GPU’s synthetic benchmark scores reinforce its mid-to-high-end positioning. It achieves a Passmark G3D score of 26927 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3854. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P4, scores 37628, a 0.1% delta, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37507, a 0.4% delta. This places the RTX 4070 in a competitive bracket, but the in-game results show that Downfall is sensitive to memory bandwidth and raw rasterization performance, which the card provides in good measure but not in excess.

The GPU also benefits from Ada Lovelace architecture features, including 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores, but the measured FPS data does not specifically isolate ray tracing or DLSS performance. The 200 W TDP and dual-slot design indicate a power-hungry mobile part, but the frame rates achieved suggest the thermal and power delivery are sufficient to sustain the clocks. The end-of-life production status of the GPU does not impact its current performance in this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset provides a detailed view of performance across all tested configurations.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 226 FPS average
• Medium: 185 FPS average, with a minimum of 157 FPS and a maximum of 213 FPS
• High: 152 FPS average
• Ultra: 95 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 162 FPS average
• Medium: 132 FPS average, with a minimum of 112 FPS and a maximum of 152 FPS
• High: 108 FPS average
• Ultra: 68 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 101 FPS average
• Medium: 82 FPS average, with a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 95 FPS
• High: 67 FPS average
• Ultra: 42 FPS average

These numbers illustrate a consistent pattern: the system is capable of very high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but struggles to maintain high refresh rates at 4K. The Medium preset at 1440p offers the best combination of frame rate and visual quality, with a minimum FPS of 112 ensuring no significant drops below the refresh rate of most 144Hz monitors. The 4K Medium result is the only playable option at that resolution, and even then, the 70 FPS minimum is close to the edge of what is considered a stable experience. For users targeting 1080p, the High preset at 152 FPS is the recommended starting point, offering a significant visual upgrade over Medium with a manageable 33 FPS loss.