Downfall

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 pairs a 20-core, 20-thread Arrow Lake design with a 5.30 GHz boost clock to deliver benchmark results that place it in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs. Its multicore muscle is evident in Cinebench R23, where it scores 42216, while its single-core score of 5960 ensures it can feed even the most demanding game engines without bottlenecking. In Downfall, a horror title that leans on both physics and AI-driven scares, this CPU’s Passmark physics score of 2923 and floating-point math score of 172776 indicate strong headroom for complex in-game calculations. The 30 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s further support smooth data flow, though the game’s measured FPS suggests the CPU is rarely the limiting factor. Compared to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 7 265 trails the AMD EPYC 4464P by just 0.3% in average benchmark score, while it edges out the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F by 0.3% and the AMD EPYC 7343 by 0.7%. This puts it in a tight pack where the differences are negligible for gaming, meaning the CPU’s 2.40 GHz base clock and 65 W TDP are more than sufficient for sustaining high frame rates in Downfall, even when the action on screen becomes chaotic.

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

The Core Ultra 7 265’s 20 cores and 20 threads are a notable configuration for a desktop part, as they provide parallel processing headroom that extends beyond typical gaming workloads. With a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost of 5.30 GHz, the CPU can rapidly scale up frequency for single-threaded tasks, which is critical for Downfall’s frame pacing and enemy AI routines. Its Passmark single-thread score of 4689 confirms that it handles per-core demands well, while the multicore score of 49682 shows it won’t choke when the game spawns multiple entities simultaneously. The architecture’s 3 nm process node from TSMC, with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die, contributes to efficiency, but the raw performance is what matters here. In Downfall’s measured results, the CPU’s influence is most visible at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work; at 1080p Low, the combo hits 348 FPS, a figure that would be unattainable with a weaker processor. The data indicates that the Core Ultra 7 265 provides ample single-core speed for the game’s logic threads, and its 20-thread count ensures that background tasks or streaming overhead don’t cause stutters. Even against the AMD EPYC 7343, which scores 0.7% higher on average, the Core Ultra 7 265 holds its own, suggesting that Downfall’s engine doesn’t benefit from the EPYC’s server-oriented features. The L3 cache of 30 MB shared across the die helps keep frequently accessed game data close, reducing latency that could otherwise impact frame times. For a horror game where sudden spikes in action demand quick response, this CPU’s boost behavior is consistent, as seen in the stable FPS numbers across all settings. The 2.40 GHz base clock might seem low on paper, but the boost to 5.30 GHz is where the real work happens, and the benchmark scores back this up.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the primary driver of Downfall’s visual output, and its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus delivers 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This capacity is sufficient for the game’s textures and effects at 4K, as evidenced by the 65 FPS average at Ultra settings, though the GPU’s 220 W TDP and boost clock of 2475 MHz are pushed hard at that resolution. The Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process with 35,800 million transistors, includes 7168 shading units and 80 ROPs, which handle rasterization tasks efficiently. The pixel rate of 198.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 554.4 GTexel/s explain why the card can maintain playable frame rates even at 3840x2160. In Downfall, the GPU’s role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases; at 1080p, the RTX 4070 SUPER is rarely the bottleneck, but at 4K Ultra, the 65 FPS average shows it’s working at full capacity. The card’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4627 places it in the 83rd percentile among all GPUs, and its Passmark G3D score of 29995 confirms strong DirectX 11 and 12 performance. Compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 4070 SUPER is just 0.1% behind the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB and 0.2% behind the Quadro M6000, while it trails the RTX 4090 Mobile by 1% — a negligible margin in real gaming terms. The 12 GB VRAM is a key asset for Downfall’s high-resolution textures, and the memory clock of 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective) ensures data transfers keep pace with the GPU’s compute capabilities. At 1440p High, the card delivers 167 FPS, indicating it has headroom to spare, but at 4K Ultra, the 65 FPS result shows the GPU is the limiting component. The RTX 4070 SUPER’s 56 RT cores and 224 tensor cores support advanced effects, but Downfall’s measured results suggest the game relies more on raw rasterization power than ray tracing.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested hardware combinations, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 plus NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 631st out of 3716 combos in Downfall. This places it in the top 17% of all systems tested, which is a strong showing for a mid-to-high-end pairing. The combo’s position reflects a balance where the CPU and GPU complement each other without glaring bottlenecks; the 20-core processor ensures the GPU is fed with data, while the RTX 4070 SUPER’s 12 GB VRAM handles the game’s demands across resolutions. The rank of 631 out of 3716 means there are many combos that outperform it, but those typically feature higher-tier GPUs like the RTX 4090 or more expensive CPUs, which aren’t in this comparison. The data shows that this combo sits comfortably above the median, and its performance is consistent with what you’d expect from a 65 W CPU paired with a 220 W GPU. The 93rd percentile CPU and 83rd percentile GPU scores combine to produce a system that excels in Downfall, but the 4K Ultra results (65 FPS) indicate that it’s not a top-tier 4K powerhouse. At 1440p and below, the combo’s rank would be higher if isolated to those resolutions, as the FPS numbers show it handles 1080p and 1440p with ease. The nearest rival combos in the database aren’t listed, but the individual component rankings suggest that this pairing maximizes the GPU’s potential without the CPU becoming a liability. For a horror game like Downfall, where atmosphere relies on smooth frame delivery, this combo’s rank indicates it can maintain immersion without stutter, though users with 4K Ultra aspirations might look at higher-ranked alternatives.

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

The measured FPS data for Downfall reveals how this combo scales across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 348 FPS on Low settings, 284 FPS on Medium (with a min of 242 and max of 327), 233 FPS on High, and 146 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show that at 1080p, the CPU and GPU have significant headroom, with even Ultra settings exceeding 144 Hz refresh rates. Moving to 2560x1440, the FPS drops but remains high: 248 FPS on Low, 203 FPS on Medium (min 173, max 234), 167 FPS on High, and 104 FPS on Ultra. The 1440p results indicate that this combo is ideal for high-refresh-rate gaming, as even Ultra settings stay above 100 FPS. At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to strain: 155 FPS on Low, 126 FPS on Medium (min 107, max 145), 104 FPS on High, and 65 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Ultra result of 65 FPS is just on the edge of playability, but it’s the only setting where the combo falls below 100 FPS. The data shows a clear pattern: the RTX 4070 SUPER’s 12 GB VRAM is sufficient at all resolutions, but the 4K Ultra preset pushes the GPU’s compute limits. The min FPS values at Medium settings (107 at 4K, 173 at 1440p, 242 at 1080p) indicate that frame pacing remains stable even under load, which is crucial for a horror game’s tension. These numbers suggest that the combo is best suited for 1440p Ultra or 1080p Ultra, where it delivers 104 and 146 FPS respectively, offering both visual fidelity and smoothness.

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

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and informative. At Ultra settings, the average FPS falls from 146 at 1080p to 104 at 1440p, then to 65 at 4K — a 55% reduction from 1080p to 4K. This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the limiting component at higher resolutions, as the CPU’s performance headroom is more than sufficient to handle the increased pixel count. At Low settings, the drop is from 348 FPS at 1080p to 248 at 1440p and 155 at 4K, which is a 55% decrease as well, confirming that the GPU’s workload scales linearly with resolution. The fact that the FPS doesn’t plateau at lower settings suggests that the CPU isn’t the bottleneck at any resolution; if it were, the FPS would remain flat regardless of resolution. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 348 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s limit for this game, but at 4K Low, it still manages 155 FPS, indicating the GPU can handle 4K when settings are reduced. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a 29% drop at Ultra (146 to 104 FPS), while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 37% (104 to 65 FPS), which is consistent with the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute limits. This pattern is typical for a mid-high-end GPU like the RTX 4070 SUPER; at 4K, the 12 GB VRAM and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth become the deciding factors, and the 65 FPS at 4K Ultra shows it’s just enough for a playable experience. The Core Ultra 7 265’s 20 threads and 5.30 GHz boost ensure that frame times remain consistent, but the GPU’s pixel rate of 198.0 GPixel/s is what ultimately determines the 4K performance ceiling.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p, the Ultra preset’s 146 FPS average is the best choice for users with 144 Hz or 165 Hz displays, as it provides high visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. The High preset at 233 FPS is overkill for most monitors, but it offers headroom for future games or streaming overhead. At 1440p, the Ultra preset’s 104 FPS is the sweet spot, delivering excellent visuals while staying above the 100 FPS threshold that most high-refresh monitors target; the High preset’s 167 FPS is a viable alternative for competitive play, but the visual difference between High and Ultra in Downfall is minimal. For 4K, the situation is more nuanced: the Ultra preset’s 65 FPS is playable but not ideal for a horror game where smooth motion is key, so the High preset’s 104 FPS is the recommended choice, as it maintains the game’s atmospheric effects while doubling the frame rate. The Medium preset at 4K offers 126 FPS, which is excellent for 4K gaming, but it sacrifices too much in shadow quality and texture detail for a visually-driven genre like horror. The Low preset at 4K (155 FPS) is unnecessary unless the user has a 144 Hz 4K display, which is rare. The data shows that the combo is best utilized at 1440p Ultra, where it delivers 104 FPS with a min of 104 (no stutter), or at 4K High (104 FPS), which balances fidelity and performance. The Medium settings at any resolution provide the most consistent min FPS values (107 at 4K, 173 at 1440p, 242 at 1080p), which suggests they are the safest choice for users who prioritize frame pacing, but the visual uplift from Medium to High is substantial, making High the recommended preset for most scenarios.