Downfall

# Downfall with Intel Core Ultra 7 265 + AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT pairing delivers a robust experience in Downfall, a 2016 horror title that remains demanding at higher settings. With measured frame rates ranging from 49 FPS at 4K Ultra to 263 FPS at 1080p Low, this combo demonstrates a wide performance envelope. The data indicates the system ranks 1041st out of 2928 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier of configurations. This analysis breaks down how the CPU and GPU each contribute to the game's performance across resolutions and settings, using only the measured data and benchmark scores provided.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor features a substantial cache hierarchy: 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, providing 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth. This processor sits at the 93rd percentile among all CPUs in the database, indicating strong overall performance.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Ultra 7 265 shows significant multi-core strength. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 42216, while the single-core score reaches 5960. PassMark results reinforce this pattern: multi-thread score is 49682, single-thread is 4689, and physics score is 2923. The data compression and encryption scores are particularly high at 522983 and 40456 respectively, suggesting the CPU handles complex workloads efficiently. The nearest rival comparisons show tight competition: the AMD EPYC 4464P scores 64823 (0.3% higher), the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F scores 64438 (0.3% lower), and the AMD EPYC 9124 scores 65104 (0.7% higher). This places the 265 in a very narrow performance band.

For Downfall, a horror game from 2016, the CPU's role is likely significant at lower resolutions where frame rates exceed 200 FPS. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 263 FPS, which suggests the processor can feed the GPU adequately. The 20 cores and 20 threads provide ample parallel processing, though the game may not utilize all of them. The boost clock of 5.30 GHz is crucial for single-threaded tasks, which many games rely on. The 30 MB L3 cache helps with data locality, potentially reducing memory latency in game scenarios. The PassMark single-thread score of 4689 indicates strong per-core performance, which should help maintain high frame rates even in CPU-bound scenes. The data compression score of 522983 points to efficient data handling, but its direct impact on game performance is unclear; the key takeaway is that the CPU is not the limiting factor in most measured scenarios.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 32 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 1435 MHz, with a boost clock of 2544 MHz and a game clock of 2171 MHz. Memory runs at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). The GPU offers 3456 shading units, 216 texture mapping units, 96 render output units, and 54 ray tracing cores. Its FP32 performance is 35.17 TFLOPS, with a pixel rate of 244.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 549.5 GTexel/s. The power draw is rated at 245 W with a suggested 550 W PSU. The GPU sits at the 67th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 22549.

In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RX 7700 XT scores 3316. Geekbench results show 138383 in OpenCL and 46443 in Vulkan. PassMark scores include 22547 in G3D, 12912 in GPU compute, and varying DX scores: 119 in DX10, 232 in DX11, 79 in DX12, and 294 in DX9. The nearest GPU rivals paint a competitive picture: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile scores 22435 (0.5% lower), the RTX 4060 Mobile scores 22729 (0.8% higher), and the RTX 2080 scores 22895 (1.5% higher). The RX 5700 scores 22170 (1.7% lower). This shows the RX 7700 XT is positioned close to mobile RTX 4060/5060 parts and desktop RTX 2080.

For Downfall, the GPU is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions. The 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's textures at all settings, and the 432 GB/s bandwidth supports high-resolution rendering. The boost clock of 2544 MHz helps maintain consistent frame delivery. The measured FPS data shows the GPU's capability scaling with resolution: at 1080p Low, it reaches 263 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 49 FPS. This 5.4x difference (from 263 to 49) highlights the GPU's workload at 4K. The 35.17 TFLOPS compute power is ample for a 2016 horror title, but the game's optimization and settings significantly impact results. The pixel rate of 244.2 GPixel/s suggests the GPU can handle fill-rate intensive scenes, which is relevant for a horror game with potentially dark, texture-heavy environments.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT achieves a rank of 1041 out of 2928 tested combinations in Downfall. This places the combo in the top 35.5% of all configurations tested. The rank is a composite measure that accounts for both CPU and GPU contributions across various benchmarks and game-specific tests. Given the CPU's 93rd percentile standing and the GPU's 67th percentile, the combined rank of 1041 suggests that the game's performance is more influenced by the GPU than the CPU, as the GPU's lower percentile pulls the overall rank down from what the CPU alone might achieve.

The rank of 1041 means there are 1040 combos that perform better, and 1887 that perform worse. This is a solid middle-to-upper tier placement. Considering the CPU's nearest rivals (EPYC 4464P, Ultra 7 265F, EPYC 7343, EPYC 9124) all score within 1% of each other, the CPU choice has minimal impact on the rank. Similarly, the GPU's nearest rivals (RTX 5060 Mobile, RTX 4060 Mobile, RTX 2080, RX 5700) are all within 2% of the RX 7700 XT's score, meaning the GPU selection also falls in a narrow band. The combo's rank is therefore representative of a well-balanced mid-range to upper-mid-range system. The measured FPS data shows the system can hit 60+ FPS at 1440p High (126 FPS) and even 4K High (78 FPS), which aligns with a rank in the 1000s rather than the top echelon. The data does not specify which combos rank higher, but the 2928 total suggests a wide field of configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance in Downfall across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1080p, the results are as follows: Low averages 263 FPS, Medium averages 215 FPS (with a min of 183 and max of 247), High averages 176 FPS, and Ultra averages 110 FPS. These numbers show a clear progression: each step up in settings reduces average FPS by roughly 30-50 FPS. The Medium setting shows a 64 FPS spread between min and max, indicating some frame time variance, but the average remains high.

At 1440p, the performance scales down proportionally. Low averages 188 FPS, Medium averages 154 FPS (with a min of 131 and max of 177), High averages 126 FPS, and Ultra averages 79 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is significant: at Low, the difference is 75 FPS (263 to 188), at Medium it is 61 FPS (215 to 154), at High it is 50 FPS (176 to 126), and at Ultra it is 31 FPS (110 to 79). The percentage drop is more pronounced at lower settings (28.5% at Low) compared to higher settings (28.2% at Ultra), showing the GPU's load increases with resolution.

At 4K (3840x2160), the performance takes a substantial hit. Low averages 117 FPS, Medium averages 96 FPS (with a min of 81 and max of 110), High averages 78 FPS, and Ultra averages 49 FPS. The step from 1440p to 4K shows: at Low, the drop is 71 FPS (188 to 117), at Medium it is 58 FPS (154 to 96), at High it is 48 FPS (126 to 78), and at Ultra it is 30 FPS (79 to 49). The 4K Ultra result of 49 FPS is the only sub-60 FPS average across all tested configurations. The Medium setting at 4K provides a playable 96 FPS, which is notable. The min FPS at 4K Medium is 81, indicating the system maintains reasonably consistent frame times even at this resolution.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling pattern reveals important insights about which component limits performance in Downfall. From 1080p to 4K, the average FPS drops by 55.5% at Low settings (263 to 117), 55.3% at Medium (215 to 96), 55.7% at High (176 to 78), and 55.5% at Ultra (110 to 49). The consistency of this drop percentage (all within 0.4 percentage points) suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck across all settings. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect the percentage drop to be smaller at lower resolutions (where CPU load is relatively higher) and larger at higher resolutions (where GPU load dominates). The near-constant drop indicates the GPU is consistently the constraint.

Breaking it down by resolution step: from 1080p to 1440p, the average drop is: Low: 28.5% (263 to 188), Medium: 28.4% (215 to 154), High: 28.4% (176 to 126), Ultra: 28.2% (110 to 79). From 1440p to 4K, the drops are: Low: 37.8% (188 to 117), Medium: 37.7% (154 to 96), High: 38.1% (126 to 78), Ultra: 38.0% (79 to 49). The larger drop from 1440p to 4K (around 38%) compared to 1080p to 1440p (around 28%) reflects the GPU's increasing workload at higher pixel counts. This is expected as 4K has 2.25 times the pixels of 1440p, and the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth become more strained.

The CPU's role appears minimal in these scaling patterns. At 1080p Low, the system hits 263 FPS, which is high but not exceptionally so for a 2016 game. The CPU's boost clock of 5.30 GHz and PassMark single-thread score of 4689 should support even higher frame rates if the GPU were not the limit. However, the data shows that as resolution increases, FPS drops proportionally, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's 20 cores and 30 MB L3 cache are likely underutilized in this title, as Downfall's age suggests it may not scale well beyond a few threads. The 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth of the CPU is more than sufficient for the game's data demands. The conclusion from the resolution scaling is that the RX 7700 XT is the limiting component, and the CPU has headroom to spare.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Downfall with this combo for a consistent 60+ FPS experience?

A: The measured data shows that 4K High averages 78 FPS and 4K Medium averages 96 FPS, so 4K is viable. However, 4K Ultra drops to 49 FPS, which is below 60. For a guaranteed 60+ FPS at all settings, 1440p is safe: even Ultra averages 79 FPS, and Low reaches 188 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance in Downfall at 1080p?

A: The resolution scaling data indicates the GPU is the primary limiter. From 1080p to 4K, FPS drops by roughly 55% consistently across all settings, which is the expected signature of GPU-bound performance. The CPU's high benchmark scores (Cinebench R23 multi-core 42216, single-core 5960) suggest it has headroom.

Q: How does this combo compare to the GPU's nearest rivals in overall benchmark scores?

A: The RX 7700 XT's average benchmark score is 22549. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile, scores 22435 (0.5% lower), while the RTX 4060 Mobile scores 22729 (0.8% higher) and the RTX 2080 scores 22895 (1.5% higher). The AMD RX 5700 scores 22170 (1.7% lower).

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, Low averages 188 FPS, while Ultra averages 79 FPS. This is a difference of 109 FPS, representing a 58% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset.

Q: Is the 12 GB VRAM sufficient for Downfall at 4K?

A: The measured data shows playable performance at 4K: High averages 78 FPS, Medium averages 96 FPS. Since the game runs at these settings without issues in the data, the 12 GB VRAM appears sufficient for this title at 4K.

Q: How does the CPU's rank among all CPUs relate to its performance in this game?

A: The CPU is at the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 64640. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 9124, scores 65104 (0.7% higher). This high percentile suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck in Downfall, as evidenced by the consistent FPS drops across resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's resolution and frame rate priorities. At 1080p, all settings produce high frame rates: Low hits 263 FPS, Medium 215 FPS, High 176 FPS, and Ultra 110 FPS. For competitive or smooth gameplay, High is the best balance, offering 176 FPS while maintaining visual quality. Ultra at 110 FPS is still very playable and provides the best image quality. There is no reason to use Low or Medium at 1080p unless targeting extremely high refresh rates (240 Hz+), where Low's 263 FPS might be beneficial.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts. High averages 126 FPS, which is excellent for most displays. Ultra averages 79 FPS, which is still above 60 but may show dips. Medium at 154 FPS offers a high frame rate with modest visual compromises. The best experience is High at 1440p: it provides 126 FPS, which is 60% higher than Ultra's 79 FPS, while the visual difference between High and Ultra is often marginal in horror games. For users with 144 Hz monitors, High is the clear choice; for those with 60 Hz displays, Ultra is viable.

At 4K, the choices are more constrained. Ultra averages 49 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and may feel choppy. High averages 78 FPS, which is playable and smooth. Medium averages 96 FPS, offering the highest frame rate while maintaining decent visuals. The data shows that High at 4K (78 FPS) is the best balance between quality and performance. Low at 117 FPS is an option for users prioritizing frame rate over visuals, but the visual degradation may be noticeable. The min FPS at 4K Medium is 81, indicating the system maintains good frame times. Overall, the recommended presets are: 1080p Ultra (110 FPS), 1440p High (126 FPS), and 4K High (78 FPS). These provide the best combination of visual fidelity and smooth gameplay based on the measured data.