Downfall

The data for Downfall with the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 shows a clear progression in performance as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers extremely high frame rates across all settings, with the Low preset reaching 287 FPS and Ultra hitting 120 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops by 27-31% depending on the preset, with High falling from 192 to 137 FPS. At 3840x2160, the decline steepens significantly; High drops to 85 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 53 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is not linear — the gap between Low and Ultra widens from a 167 FPS difference at 1080p to a 74 FPS difference at 4K. This pattern indicates that at lower resolutions, the system is heavily CPU-bound, as the GPU has ample headroom to render frames quickly, while at 4K, the RTX 4080 becomes the limiting factor, particularly under the Ultra preset which demands more from the graphics hardware.

The data suggests that the RTX 4080's capabilities are the primary constraint at higher resolutions, but the CPU's influence remains visible. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 287 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's maximum frame delivery rate for this game. The fact that the 4K Low preset still manages 127 FPS — a 44% reduction from 1080p Low — shows that the GPU is still processing most frames efficiently even at 4K, but the Ultra preset's 53 FPS at 4K reveals a significant workload increase that the GPU cannot fully overcome. The combination of the CPU's 16 cores and 22 threads with the GPU's 9728 shading units produces a balanced system for most scenarios, but the 4K Ultra results indicate that this pairing is optimized for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p rather than maximum fidelity at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Downfall reveals a predictable yet telling scaling pattern across the three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the combo excels, with every preset exceeding 120 FPS — the Low preset achieves 287 FPS, Medium reaches 235 FPS, High hits 192 FPS, and Ultra still delivers a smooth 120 FPS. This 1080p performance is clearly CPU-limited, as even the most demanding Ultra preset cannot push the average below 120 FPS, suggesting the RTX 4080 is not being fully utilized at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a more pronounced GPU influence. The Low preset drops to 205 FPS, a 28.6% reduction from 1080p, while Ultra falls to 86 FPS, a 28.3% drop. The Medium preset at this resolution shows a minimum FPS of 142 and a maximum of 193, indicating some frame time variance but still maintaining a smooth experience. The 1440p results suggest a transition point where the GPU begins to matter more, but the CPU still has enough headroom to keep the system well above 60 FPS even at Ultra settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The Low preset manages 127 FPS, which is still excellent for 4K, but the High preset drops to 85 FPS, and Ultra falls to just 53 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a 38% reduction for Low (205 to 127 FPS), a 38% reduction for High (137 to 85 FPS), and a 38.4% reduction for Ultra (86 to 53 FPS). This consistent percentage drop across all presets indicates that the RTX 4080 is now the limiting component, as the CPU's performance ceiling is no longer the constraining factor. The 4K Medium preset, with an average of 104 FPS and a minimum of 89 FPS, shows that even at this demanding resolution, the system can maintain playable frame rates, but the Ultra preset's 53 FPS average is borderline for a smooth experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 plays a critical role in Downfall's performance, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. The GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth, which is essential for handling the texture-heavy environments common in horror games. The boost clock of 2505 MHz, combined with 9728 shading units, allows the card to process the game's lighting and shadow effects efficiently. The benchmark results show that the GPU's performance scales well with resolution up to a point, but the Ultra preset at 4K exposes its limits.

The RTX 4080's nearest rivals in the database include the RTX 4080 SUPER, which scores 0.1% higher in average benchmark performance, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, which scores 2.6% lower. This indicates that the RTX 4080 sits near the top of the GPU hierarchy, and its performance in Downfall reflects this positioning. The GPU's 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs further confirms its high-end status. However, the 4K Ultra result of 53 FPS suggests that the game's Ultra preset demands more than the GPU can deliver at this resolution, likely due to the combination of high-resolution textures and advanced post-processing effects that stress the 16 GB memory capacity and the 761.5 GTexel/s texture rate.

The GPU's memory clock of 1400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective) and 280.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are sufficient for most scenarios, but the 4K Ultra data indicates that the card is working near its maximum capacity. The fact that the 4K Medium preset achieves 104 FPS while Ultra drops to 53 FPS — a 49% reduction — suggests that the Ultra preset includes features that disproportionately increase the GPU workload, likely ray tracing or high-quality shadows, which are known to be demanding on even the most powerful GPUs.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all presets are viable, but the High preset at 192 FPS offers the best balance between visual quality and performance, as it provides a significant improvement over Medium (235 FPS) in visual fidelity while still maintaining a frame rate well above any display's refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 120 FPS is also excellent for users who prioritize visual quality, as it still delivers a smooth experience.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 137 FPS is the recommended choice for most users, as it provides a substantial visual upgrade over Medium (168 FPS) while maintaining a frame rate that is smooth on 144Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 86 FPS is acceptable for users with 60Hz displays or those who prefer maximum visual fidelity, but the 51 FPS difference between High and Ultra suggests that the Ultra preset's additional features may not be worth the performance cost for competitive or fast-paced gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset at 104 FPS is the clear recommendation, as it delivers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The High preset at 85 FPS is still smooth for most users, but the 19 FPS difference between Medium and High may be noticeable on high-refresh-rate displays. The Ultra preset at 53 FPS is only recommended for users with 60Hz displays who prioritize visual quality above all else, as the frame rate is below the 60 FPS threshold that most users consider the minimum for a smooth experience. The Low preset at 127 FPS is not recommended for 4K, as the visual compromise is too significant for the performance gain, and the Medium preset already provides a strong experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 1219th out of 3716 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the 67.2nd percentile of all combinations. This ranking is notably lower than what the individual component benchmarks might suggest, given that the CPU ranks in the 83rd percentile and the GPU ranks in the 86th percentile. The discrepancy indicates that Downfall is a game that does not fully leverage the strengths of this particular CPU-GPU pairing, likely due to the game's optimization for other hardware configurations or its reliance on single-threaded performance.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Core i5-14600T, which scores 0% different in average benchmark performance, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360, which scores 0.1% higher. These near-identical scores suggest that the Core Ultra 7 155H is well-matched against its direct competitors, but the combo's overall ranking in Downfall indicates that the game may favor other CPU architectures. The GPU's nearest rivals, including the RTX 4080 SUPER (0.1% higher) and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (2.6% lower), show that the RTX 4080 is competitive, but the game's performance with this combo suggests that other GPUs may offer better results in Downfall specifically.

The combo's ranking of 1219 out of 3716 places it in the top third of all tested configurations, which is respectable but not exceptional. This suggests that while the system is capable of running Downfall well, there are many other combos that achieve higher frame rates, likely due to the game's preference for higher-clocked CPUs or GPUs with different architectural strengths. The 4K Ultra result of 53 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, may be a contributing factor to the combo's mid-tier ranking, as other combos may maintain higher frame rates at the most demanding settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H's role in Downfall is primarily visible at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the bottleneck. The CPU's 16 cores and 22 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, provide substantial multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15028. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache helps with game data locality, and the 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth supports fast data transfer. However, the CPU's single-threaded performance, as shown by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1743, is more relevant for Downfall's game logic and physics calculations.

The CPU's 83rd percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates that it is a strong performer overall, but its nearest rivals — the Intel Core i5-14600T and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 — show that it is not a market leader. The 1080p Low result of 287 FPS is likely near the CPU's maximum frame delivery rate for this game, as increasing the resolution to 1440p only reduces the frame rate by 28.6% (to 205 FPS), which is a smaller percentage drop than what would be expected if the CPU were the primary bottleneck. At 4K, the CPU's influence diminishes further, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the frame rates drop by an additional 38% across all presets.

The CPU's performance in Downfall is adequate for all tested scenarios, as even at 4K Ultra, the system maintains a playable 53 FPS. The 22 threads are likely more than sufficient for the game's multi-threaded rendering tasks, but the CPU's boost clock of 4.80 GHz may not be high enough to push frame rates above the GPU's limits at lower resolutions. The PassMark single-thread score of 3468 and multithread score of 24873 provide context for the CPU's overall capability, but the game's specific workload appears to favor the GPU more heavily, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling patterns.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers the following average FPS across settings:

• Low: 287 FPS
• Medium: 235 FPS (minimum 199, maximum 270)
• High: 192 FPS
• Ultra: 120 FPS

The 1080p results show a clear hierarchy, with Low providing the highest frame rate and Ultra the lowest, but all presets exceed 120 FPS, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 2560x1440, the measured averages are:

• Low: 205 FPS
• Medium: 168 FPS (minimum 142, maximum 193)
• High: 137 FPS
• Ultra: 86 FPS

The 1440p results maintain high performance, with even the Ultra preset staying above 60 FPS, but the gap between Low and Ultra widens to 119 FPS, indicating that the GPU is becoming more influential at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the averages are:

• Low: 127 FPS
• Medium: 104 FPS (minimum 89, maximum 120)
• High: 85 FPS
• Ultra: 53 FPS

The 4K results show a significant performance drop, with only the Low and Medium presets maintaining frame rates above 100 FPS. The Ultra preset falls below 60 FPS, which may cause noticeable stuttering on some displays, while the Medium preset's minimum of 89 FPS ensures a smooth experience even during demanding scenes.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Downfall?*

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 offers the best balance of performance and visual quality. At 1440p, the High preset achieves 137 FPS and Ultra reaches 86 FPS, both of which are smooth on most displays. At 4K, the Ultra preset drops to 53 FPS, which may be below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 53 FPS, while the High preset averages 85 FPS. This represents a 60.4% increase in frame rate when switching from Ultra to High, with a relatively minor visual compromise, making High the more practical choice for 4K gaming.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the data suggests the CPU is the primary limiting factor. The Low preset achieves 287 FPS, and the Ultra preset still reaches 120 FPS, but the frame rate differences between presets are relatively small compared to higher resolutions, indicating the GPU has spare capacity that the CPU cannot fully utilize.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The only minimum FPS values recorded are for the Medium preset at each resolution: 199 FPS at 1080p, 142 FPS at 1440p, and 89 FPS at 4K. These minimums indicate that the Medium preset maintains consistent frame delivery without significant drops.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1219th out of 3716 tested combinations in Downfall, placing it in the top 32.8% of all systems. This ranking is lower than the individual CPU and GPU percentile rankings might suggest, indicating the game does not perfectly optimize for this hardware pairing.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Downfall?*

A: Yes, but with limitations. The Medium preset at 4K achieves 104 FPS, and High reaches 85 FPS, both of which are smooth. The Ultra preset averages 53 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, so users seeking maximum visual quality should be prepared for a less fluid experience at 4K.