Downfall

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running Downfall at 4K with high settings?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers an average of 94 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, making 4K High a viable option.

Q: What is the best resolution for maximum frame rates in this game?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with Low settings produces the highest average frame rate at 314 FPS. Even at 2560x1440 with Low settings, the combo reaches 224 FPS, indicating that lower resolutions unlock the full potential of this hardware.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High in terms of performance?

A: The Ultra preset is significantly more demanding. At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops from 94 (High) to 59 (Ultra), a substantial decrease. At 2560x1440, the drop is from 150 (High) to 94 (Ultra). The same trend is observed at 1920x1080, where it falls from 211 (High) to 132 (Ultra).

Q: Are there any frame time consistency data points available?

A: The dataset includes minimum and maximum FPS only for the Medium settings. At 3840x2160 Medium, the frame rate ranges from 97 to 131 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, it ranges from 156 to 211 FPS. At 1920x1080 Medium, it ranges from 218 to 295 FPS. No such data is provided for other presets.

Q: What is the rank of this specific CPU-GPU combination in the benchmark database?

A: This combo ranks 826 out of 3716 tested combinations for Downfall. This places it in the top 22% of all tested configurations, indicating a strong overall performance tier.

Q: What are the key specifications of the CPU in this test?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a 16-core, 22-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 1, based on the Meteor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, with a TDP of 28 W.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the primary driver of frame rates in Downfall, and the benchmark data shows a clear scaling pattern tied to its capabilities. This GPU is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features a massive 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. This memory configuration is far beyond what a 2016 horror title like Downfall would require, ensuring that texture loading and memory allocation are never bottlenecks at any tested resolution.

The GPU's clock behavior is noteworthy. With a base clock of 2235 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, the RTX 4090 maintains high frequencies under load. The benchmark results suggest that the GPU is not being thermally or power-limited in this laptop configuration, as the frame rates scale predictably with resolution changes. For instance, when moving from 3840x2160 High (94 FPS) to 2560x1440 High (150 FPS), the performance increase of roughly 60% is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario where the rendering load decreases proportionally with pixel count.

The RTX 4090's raw compute power, quantified at 82.58 TFLOPS FP32, allows it to handle even the most demanding preset. However, the Ultra preset proves to be exceptionally heavy. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 59, which is right at the edge of playability. This sharp drop from the High preset’s 94 FPS suggests that Ultra enables effects that disproportionately tax the GPU, such as advanced shadow rendering or post-processing filters. The data indicates the RTX 4090 is powerful, but Downfall's Ultra settings can still bring it to its knees at 4K.

The GPU's 16384 shading units and 128 RT cores are overkill for a game from 2016, which likely does not use ray tracing. The performance differences between presets are therefore more likely due to traditional rasterization effects and pixel fill rate demands. The RTX 4090's pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s are more than sufficient to handle the game's geometry and textures, which explains why even at 1440p High, the combo achieves 150 FPS.

Interestingly, the GPU's benchmark percentile is 88, and its average benchmark score is 60347. This places it near rivals like the Intel Arc Pro A60, which has a deltaPct of 0, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48, which is 0.3% ahead. This context shows that while the RTX 4090 is a top-tier consumer card, the database's overall GPU rankings include professional and workstation cards that perform similarly in synthetic tests. For gaming, however, the RTX 4090's driver optimization and feature set make it a stronger choice, as evidenced by the high FPS numbers in Downfall.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 achieves a rank of 826 out of 3716 tested combos for Downfall. This is a strong position, placing the system in the top 22% of all configurations. It is crucial to interpret this rank correctly: it is not a comparison of just CPUs or GPUs, but the specific pairing's performance in this particular game.

A rank of 826 out of 3716 means that 2890 other combinations performed worse, while 825 performed better. This indicates that while this is a high-end setup, it is not at the absolute pinnacle of the database. The bottleneck for this rank is likely the CPU, as the RTX 4090 is a flagship GPU. The Core Ultra 7 155H, while capable, is a mobile processor with a 28 W TDP. In a desktop context, pairing an RTX 4090 with a higher-power desktop CPU would likely yield better results and a higher rank.

The CPU's overall benchmark percentile is 83, and its average score is 32697. The nearest rival is the Intel Core i5-14600T, which has a deltaPct of 0, meaning they are statistically tied. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 is 0.1% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H is 0.4% faster. These are all close matches, showing that the Core Ultra 7 155H is a solid mid-to-high-tier mobile processor, but it is not a performance leader. This explains why the combo rank is not higher; the CPU's performance ceiling limits the overall system, even with the fastest GPU available.

Considering the GPU's own ranking, it sits in the 88th percentile, but its nearest rivals are professional cards like the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M, which is 2.5% faster, and the AMD Radeon PRO V710, which is 2.9% slower. This suggests that the RTX 4090's pure compute power is comparable to workstation GPUs, but its gaming-specific optimizations are what make it shine in titles like Downfall. The combo rank of 826 reflects the synergy (or lack thereof) between this specific CPU and GPU. The data shows that the GPU is rarely the limiting factor, but the CPU may struggle to feed it frames at lower resolutions where the GPU is not fully utilized.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. The dataset includes average FPS for all combinations, with minimum and maximum FPS only for Medium settings.

At 1920x1080, the performance is exceptionally high. With Low settings, the average FPS is 314. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 257, with a minimum of 218 and a maximum of 295. High settings yield an average of 211 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing an average of 132 FPS. This resolution is well within the capabilities of the combo, and even the Ultra preset remains highly playable.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates are still very high. Low settings deliver an average of 224 FPS. Medium settings drop to an average of 184 FPS, with a range of 156 to 211 FPS. High settings produce 150 FPS on average. Ultra settings see a significant drop to 94 FPS. This resolution represents a sweet spot for high-refresh-rate monitors, as even High settings push past the 144 Hz mark.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the performance becomes more demanding. Low settings still manage a strong 140 FPS. Medium settings average 114 FPS, with a range of 97 to 131 FPS. High settings produce 94 FPS, which is ideal for 60 Hz displays. Ultra settings are the only preset that dips below 60 FPS, averaging 59 FPS. This is the only configuration where the combo struggles to maintain a smooth experience.

The scaling between resolutions is consistent. For High settings, the FPS goes from 211 (1080p) to 150 (1440p) to 94 (4K). This shows a clear pattern where each resolution increase reduces the frame rate by roughly 30-40%. For Low settings, the progression is 314 to 224 to 140. The data indicates that the GPU is the primary scaling factor, as the CPU's performance remains constant across resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's display and performance goals.

For 4K displays (3840x2160), the High preset is the best choice. It delivers an average of 94 FPS, which is smooth and well above the 60 FPS standard. The Ultra preset, at 59 FPS, is only marginally below 60 FPS and could be chosen if visual fidelity is paramount and slight frame drops are acceptable. However, the Medium preset, at 114 FPS, offers a better balance for those who want headroom for demanding scenes. The Low preset, at 140 FPS, is unnecessary unless targeting 120 Hz or 144 Hz refresh rates, which are rare for 4K panels.

For 1440p displays (2560x1440), the High preset at 150 FPS is an excellent choice, providing a high-refresh-rate experience. The Medium preset at 184 FPS is also viable for 165 Hz or 180 Hz monitors. The Ultra preset, at 94 FPS, is still very playable and offers the best image quality for those with 60 Hz or 75 Hz displays. Low settings at 224 FPS are only useful for competitive play where maximum frame rates are prioritized over visuals.

For 1080p displays (1920x1080), the Ultra preset at 132 FPS is the recommended choice for the best visual experience while still maintaining high frame rates. High settings at 211 FPS are ideal for 240 Hz monitors, providing an incredibly smooth experience. Medium settings at 257 FPS and Low settings at 314 FPS are overkill for most displays but could be used for esports-style play where every frame counts.

In summary, the High preset is generally the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. The Ultra preset is only recommended for 1080p or for users who have 4K displays and are willing to accept 59 FPS. The data indicates that the GPU is powerful enough to handle High settings at all resolutions with excellent frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H plays a secondary but important role in this combo. This is a 16-core, 22-thread processor from the Meteor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. It features 24 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The CPU's TDP is 28 W, which is typical for a mobile processor.

In Downfall, a game released in 2016, the CPU is unlikely to be a bottleneck at higher resolutions. The game's physics and AI calculations are not extremely demanding by modern standards. The benchmark data supports this, as the frame rates scale primarily with resolution and GPU load. For instance, at 4K High, the combo achieves 94 FPS, which is likely GPU-bound. At 1080p Low, the FPS jumps to 314, which indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at very high frame rates.

However, the CPU's performance ceiling is evident when comparing to the RTX 4090's potential. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15028 and a single-core score of 1743, are solid for a mobile chip but are not exceptional. The PassMark multithread score of 24873 and single-thread score of 3468 show a similar trend. The CPU's percentile vs all CPUs is 83, and its average score is 32697, placing it near rivals like the Intel Core i5-14600T (deltaPct 0) and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 (deltaPct 0.1).

The data suggests that the Core Ultra 7 155H is sufficient for Downfall, as the game does not appear to be heavily CPU-bound. The fact that the combo achieves 314 FPS at 1080p Low indicates that the CPU can handle high draw calls and game logic without limiting the GPU. The 22 threads and 16 cores provide ample parallel processing for any background tasks, and the 4.80 GHz boost clock ensures strong single-thread performance for the game's main thread.

The CPU's 28 W TDP is a key consideration for thermal management in a laptop. While it limits the CPU's sustained performance compared to desktop parts, the data shows that it does not harm the gaming experience in Downfall. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s is also sufficient to feed the GPU, especially given the game's age and modest memory requirements. Overall, the CPU is a capable partner for the RTX 4090, and the combo's rank of 826 out of 3716 reflects that the CPU is not a weak link in this specific title.