Downfall

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 lands at rank 2420 out of 2928 tested combos in Downfall. That places this pairing in the bottom 17% of all configurations benchmarked, which is a stark reflection of the GPU's age relative to the modern CPU driving it. The combo rank of 2420 against 2928 total combinations means roughly 508 other setups performed worse, but the overwhelming majority of tested systems delivered higher frame rates. This is a lopsided pairing — the processor is clearly not the limiting factor, while the graphics card sits near the lower end of the performance distribution.

The data shows a clear bottleneck pattern: the GTX 1070 holds a percentile rank of 47 against all GPUs, meaning it outperforms only about half of the graphics cards in the database. By contrast, the Core Ultra 7 265 sits at the 93rd percentile against all CPUs, placing it among the top 7% of processors tested. When a 93rd-percentile CPU is paired with a 47th-percentile GPU, the result is a system where the graphics card dictates nearly all gameplay outcomes. The combo rank of 2420 reflects that GPU-limited reality, and the measured FPS numbers confirm it — the CPU has ample headroom while the GPU labors to keep pace.

CPU Role

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 at TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and boosts up to 5.30 GHz, drawing a 65 W TDP. This is a desktop-class chip with a 30 MB shared L3 cache, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 192 KB of L1 per core. Memory support is DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, providing 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The CPU connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes, and it includes an integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 32EU unit, though that integrated GPU plays no meaningful role in Downfall gaming performance given the dedicated GTX 1070.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Core Ultra 7 265 demonstrates substantial compute capability. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score reaches 42216, while the single-core score hits 5960. Passmark multi-thread performance registers 49682, with single-thread at 4689. The average benchmark score across all tests is 64640, which places it just 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F and 0.7% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7343, while sitting 0.3% behind the AMD EPYC 4464P and 0.7% behind the AMD EPYC 9124. These rivals are all server-class or workstation processors, which underscores how strong this desktop chip's overall compute showing is.

For Downfall specifically, the CPU's role is mostly about maintaining a stable frame delivery floor. The game's measured FPS results show that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo reaches 157 FPS average — a figure that suggests the CPU is feeding frames faster than the GPU can render them at lower graphical loads. The 20 cores and 20 threads are far more than a 2016 horror title would utilize, but the high boost clock of 5.30 GHz helps with any single-threaded engine tasks. The data shows that as resolution increases and settings ramp up, FPS drops consistently, which points to the GPU being the constraint rather than the processor. The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking versus all CPUs reinforces that this chip is not the performance ceiling in this pairing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a Pascal-architecture card built on a 16 nm process at TSMC, featuring the GP104 chip with 7,200 million transistors on a 314 mm² die. It operates with a base clock of 1506 MHz and a boost clock of 1683 MHz, with memory clocked at 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective). The card has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth. It includes 1920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operations units, with a pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 6.463 TFLOPS. The card draws 150 W TDP, requires a single 8-pin power connector, and is a dual-slot design measuring 267 mm in length.

The GTX 1070's benchmark scores tell a mixed story. Its Passmark G3D score is 13498, while the Geekbench OpenCL score reaches 44700 and the Vulkan score is 22121. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1082. The average benchmark score across all GPU tests is 9780, which places it 0.2% ahead of the AMD FirePro W5000 and 0.7% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla C2070, while sitting 0.5% behind the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M and 0.6% behind the NVIDIA Tesla M10. The 47th percentile ranking against all GPUs confirms this card sits near the middle of the performance distribution — a far cry from the CPU's 93rd percentile standing.

In Downfall, the GTX 1070's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's texture loads, but the card's raw compute limits frame rates at higher settings. The Pascal architecture, released in 2016, predates the game's February 2016 release by only a few months, so it should be architecture-appropriate for the title. However, the measured FPS data shows the card struggling at 4K Ultra, where it averages just 29 FPS. The GPU's 47th percentile ranking explains why: this is a mid-range card by modern standards, and Downfall's higher presets demand more shading and fill rate than the GTX 1070 can deliver at high resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the measured FPS figures show a steep drop-off as settings increase. Low settings produce an average of 70 FPS, Medium averages 57 FPS with a minimum of 48 and maximum of 66, High averages 47 FPS, and Ultra falls to 29 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 41 FPS, which represents a 59% reduction in frame rate. The fact that even Low settings only reach 70 FPS at 4K indicates the GTX 1070 is heavily taxed at this resolution, and the 29 FPS Ultra result is borderline unplayable for a horror game where smooth motion matters.

Moving to 2560x1440, the situation improves substantially. Low settings deliver 112 FPS average, Medium reaches 92 FPS with a minimum of 78 and maximum of 105, High averages 75 FPS, and Ultra drops to 47 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 65 FPS, a 58% reduction. The Medium preset's minimum of 78 FPS shows that this resolution is more manageable for the card, but Ultra still falls below the 60 FPS threshold that most players would consider acceptable.

At 1920x1080, the GTX 1070 shows its best performance. Low settings average 157 FPS, Medium hits 128 FPS with a minimum of 109 and maximum of 147, High averages 105 FPS, and Ultra delivers 66 FPS. The 1080p results demonstrate that the card can handle the game comfortably at lower settings, with even High preset staying above 100 FPS. Ultra at 1080p is the only setting that dips near the 60 FPS mark, averaging 66 FPS. The progression from 4K to 1440p to 1080p shows a consistent pattern: the GTX 1070 is resolution-bound, and each step down in resolution yields roughly a 50-60% improvement in frame rate at equivalent settings.

The data reveals that the Medium preset is the only configuration at each resolution that includes min and max FPS measurements. At 4K Medium, the range is 48 to 66 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it is 78 to 105 FPS; and at 1080p Medium, it is 109 to 147 FPS. These ranges suggest that frame pacing is relatively consistent, with the spread between min and max staying around 18-38 FPS depending on resolution. The tightest range is at 4K (18 FPS spread), while the widest is at 1080p (38 FPS spread), which could indicate that at lower resolutions the CPU occasionally pushes frame rates higher but the GPU cannot sustain them.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo rank of this CPU-GPU pairing in Downfall?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 2420 out of 2928 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 17% of all configurations benchmarked for this game.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 7 265 has an average benchmark score of 64640. It sits 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F and 0.7% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7343, while trailing the AMD EPYC 4464P by 0.3% and the AMD EPYC 9124 by 0.7%.

Q: What is the best FPS result this combo achieves in Downfall?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 157 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At the same resolution, Medium preset delivers 128 FPS average, High delivers 105 FPS, and Ultra delivers 66 FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 perform relative to other GPUs in the database?

A: The GTX 1070 holds a 47th percentile ranking against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 9780. It is 0.2% ahead of the AMD FirePro W5000 and 0.7% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla C2070, but 0.5% behind the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M and 0.6% behind the NVIDIA Tesla M10.

Q: At which resolution and settings does this combo maintain 60 FPS or higher?

A: At 1920x1080, all settings average above 60 FPS, with Low at 157, Medium at 128, High at 105, and Ultra at 66. At 2560x1440, Low (112 FPS), Medium (92 FPS), and High (75 FPS) exceed 60 FPS, but Ultra falls to 47 FPS. At 3840x2160, only Low (70 FPS) and Medium (57 FPS) come close to or exceed 60 FPS, while High (47 FPS) and Ultra (29 FPS) fall short.

Q: How much does Ultra settings reduce FPS compared to Low across resolutions?

A: At 3840x2160, Ultra averages 29 FPS versus Low's 70 FPS, a 59% reduction. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 47 FPS versus Low's 112 FPS, a 58% reduction. At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 66 FPS versus Low's 157 FPS, also a 58% reduction.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo depends heavily on the target display resolution. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 105 FPS average, which is smooth and well above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 1080p still averages 66 FPS, so players with 1080p displays can reasonably choose Ultra for maximum visual fidelity while staying above 60 FPS. However, the Medium preset at 1080p offers a safer margin with 128 FPS average and a minimum of 109 FPS, which ensures consistent frame delivery during intense horror sequences.

At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 75 FPS, which is playable but with less headroom. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 92 FPS with a minimum of 78 FPS, making it the recommended choice for 1440p displays — it provides a comfortable buffer above 60 FPS while still offering improved visuals over Low. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 47 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and should be avoided for smooth gameplay. For 1440p users, Medium is the sweet spot, as it balances visual quality against the card's performance ceiling.

At 3840x2160, none of the settings consistently achieve 60 FPS. Low averages 70 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that clears the 60 FPS bar, while Medium averages 57 FPS and High drops to 47 FPS. Ultra at 4K averages just 29 FPS, which is not recommended for a horror game where responsiveness matters. For 4K displays, the Low preset is the only viable option for maintaining playable frame rates, and even then the margin is thin. Players with 4K monitors should either accept Low settings or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better experience.

The data suggests that the Medium preset represents the best overall balance across all resolutions when considering both average FPS and the measured min/max ranges. At 4K Medium, the 48 FPS minimum is borderline, but at 1440p and 1080p, the Medium preset's minimums of 78 and 109 FPS respectively provide solid consistency. The measured frame ranges at Medium settings — 48-66 FPS at 4K, 78-105 FPS at 1440p, and 109-147 FPS at 1080p — show that this preset maintains reasonably stable frame pacing without the extreme drops that might occur at Ultra. For most users, selecting Medium at 1080p or 1440p will deliver the best combination of visual quality and smooth performance, while High is acceptable at 1080p for those prioritizing image quality over frame rate headroom.