Downfall

FAQ

Q: What is the combo rank of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 in Downfall?

A: This combination ranks 1016 out of 3716 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the top 27% of all tested hardware pairings for this title.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX scores 63,173 on average, which is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13790F (63,080), 0.5% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P185 (62,839), and 0.7% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX (62,738). It trails the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G by 0.2% (63,331).

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile relative to all GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 sits in the 87th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 56,083. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, which scores 57,367 (2.2% higher).

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achieved at 1080p with this combo?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 308 FPS average. The Medium preset delivers 252 FPS, High delivers 206 FPS, and Ultra drops to 129 FPS.

Q: How much performance difference exists between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 High, the average FPS is 206. Moving to 2560x1440 High drops it to 147 FPS, and at 3840x2160 High, the average falls to 92 FPS. That represents a 55% reduction from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Does the RTX 5080 have enough VRAM for Downfall at maximum settings?

A: The RTX 5080 features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus with 960.0 GB/s bandwidth. At 4K Ultra settings, the combo still produces 57 FPS average, indicating the VRAM capacity and bandwidth are sufficient for this title at all tested settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the primary driver of frame rates in Downfall, and the measured data shows a clear scaling pattern tied to its Blackwell 2.0 architecture. The GPU operates with a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2617 MHz, built on TSMC's 5 nm process with 45,600 million transistors. This hardware configuration delivers a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 8,637, which contextualizes its gaming performance in modern titles.

The 16 GB GDDR7 memory pool is paired with a 256-bit bus, producing 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory subsystem is critical for Downfall's horror environments, which often feature dense shadow maps and high-resolution textures. The 4K Ultra result of 57 FPS average indicates that the memory bandwidth is not a bottleneck at the highest settings, as the GPU can still push nearly 60 frames per second at 3840x2160 resolution.

The RTX 5080's compute capabilities are substantial: 10,752 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. The pixel rate of 293.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 879.3 GTexel/s directly influence how quickly the GPU can fill frames with detailed geometry. In Downfall, which relies on atmospheric lighting and particle effects, the 84 RT cores and 336 tensor cores provide hardware acceleration for ray-traced effects and DLSS processing, though the measured data here does not isolate those features.

The GPU's benchmark profile shows a Passmark G3D score of 36,565 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 255,450. These synthetic results position the RTX 5080 in the 87th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest competitor, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, outperforms it by 2.2% in average benchmark score, while the AMD Radeon 8060S trails by only 0.6%. This tight grouping suggests that the RTX 5080 is competitive but not dominant at its performance tier.

The measured FPS data reveals how the GPU scales with resolution. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 308 FPS, which drops to 220 FPS at 1440p Low and 137 FPS at 4K Low. This scaling factor of roughly 0.71 from 1080p to 1440p and 0.62 from 1440p to 4K indicates that the GPU becomes progressively more load-bound as resolution increases, which is expected given the fixed pixel throughput capabilities.

At Ultra settings, the GPU's limits become apparent. The 4K Ultra result of 57 FPS is less than half of the 4K High result of 92 FPS, showing a steep performance penalty for the highest quality preset. This suggests that Ultra settings engage computationally expensive effects that stress the GPU's shading and ROP throughput. The RTX 5080's 16 GB VRAM remains sufficient throughout, as no memory-related stutters or crashes are indicated in the data.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 achieves a combo rank of 1016 out of 3716 tested combinations in Downfall. This places the pairing in the 72.7th percentile of all tested combos, meaning it outperforms roughly 2,700 other configurations in this game. The rank reflects the combined capabilities of both components working together, and the data shows this is a high-end but not top-tier configuration.

The CPU's synthetic average benchmark score of 63,173 places it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13790F, scores 63,080 — a mere 0.1% difference. This indicates that the Ultra 7 265HX is effectively tied with previous-generation desktop parts in raw compute potential. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G scores 63,331, which is 0.2% higher, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX trails by 0.7%.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5080's average benchmark score of 56,083 is 87th percentile among all GPUs. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE leads this group by 2.2%, while the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X trails by 2.3%. This suggests the RTX 5080 is well-positioned in the upper mid-range of GPU performance, with its nearest rivals clustering within a 3% band.

The combination of a 93rd-percentile CPU and an 87th-percentile GPU does not linearly translate to a 90th-percentile gaming combo. The 1016th rank out of 3716 reflects that Downfall's performance characteristics may favor different hardware balances. The gap between the CPU's strong synthetic standing and the combo's overall rank suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing for this specific game, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU's workload dominates.

Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing sits comfortably in the top third. The rank indicates that while there are many faster configurations, the majority of tested systems deliver worse performance in Downfall. The data shows that this combo is capable of high refresh rate gaming at 1440p and playable 4K performance, which aligns with its mid-1000s ranking among over 3,700 tested systems.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo demonstrates its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 308 FPS average, which is the fastest result across all tested configurations. Medium settings deliver 252 FPS with a minimum of 214 FPS and a maximum of 289 FPS, indicating consistent frame pacing. High settings yield 206 FPS, while Ultra drops to 129 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 58% performance reduction, with each successive preset tier costing roughly 50-80 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance envelope narrows. Low settings produce 220 FPS, which is a 29% reduction from the 1080p Low result. Medium delivers 180 FPS with a minimum of 153 FPS and a maximum of 207 FPS. High settings drop to 147 FPS, and Ultra falls to 92 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 128 FPS, representing a 58% reduction, mirroring the scaling seen at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's workload becomes the dominant factor. Low settings produce 137 FPS, which is still highly playable for a horror title. Medium delivers 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 129 FPS, showing a tight frame range that avoids major dips. High settings yield 92 FPS, while Ultra drops to 57 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the lowest measured value in the entire dataset, representing a 81% reduction from the 1080p Low peak.

The Medium preset results consistently show the only recorded minimum and maximum FPS values in the dataset. At 1080p Medium, the range spans 214 to 289 FPS (a 75 FPS spread). At 1440p Medium, the range is 153 to 207 FPS (a 54 FPS spread). At 4K Medium, the range is 95 to 129 FPS (a 34 FPS spread). This narrowing range with increasing resolution indicates that frame time variance decreases as the GPU becomes more consistently load-bound.

Resolution scaling from 1080p to 4K at the same settings shows consistent patterns. At Low, performance drops from 308 to 220 to 137 FPS across resolutions. At Medium, it drops from 252 to 180 to 112 FPS. At High, it drops from 206 to 147 to 92 FPS. At Ultra, it drops from 129 to 92 to 57 FPS. The percentage reduction from 1080p to 4K is roughly 55-56% across all settings, suggesting the GPU scales predictably with pixel count.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX brings 20 cores and 20 threads to this pairing, built on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture using TSMC's 3 nm process. The CPU's base clock of 2.60 GHz can boost up to 5.30 GHz, which is particularly relevant for Downfall's single-threaded game logic. The 30 MB of shared L3 cache, alongside 192 KB L1 and 3 MB L2 per core, provides ample on-die storage for frequently accessed game data.

The CPU's synthetic benchmarks show strong multi-threaded performance. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 40,642 and single-core score of 5,737 indicate a balanced processor that can handle both heavily threaded background tasks and latency-sensitive game threads. The Passmark multi-thread score of 47,985 and single-thread score of 4,500 reinforce this profile. The CPU's percentile ranking of 93rd among all CPUs confirms its high-end positioning.

In Downfall, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions, but it becomes more relevant at 1080p where frame rates exceed 200 FPS. At 1080p Low with 308 FPS average, the CPU must feed frames to the GPU at a rate that requires strong single-thread performance. The 5.30 GHz boost clock and the Arrow Lake architecture's efficient instruction handling support this demand.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s over dual-channel DDR5 is sufficient for this game. The 20-core configuration provides headroom for background processes that might otherwise introduce stutter in a horror title, where consistent frame delivery is critical for maintaining atmosphere. The data shows no CPU bottleneck indicators, as frame rates scale cleanly with resolution and settings changes.

Compared to its nearest CPU rivals, the Ultra 7 265HX is effectively tied with the Intel Core i7-13790F, which differs by only 0.1% in average benchmark score. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G leads by 0.2%, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX trails by 0.7%. These small margins suggest that CPU choice among these options would have minimal impact on Downfall performance, with the GPU being the primary differentiator.

Settings Recommendations

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset at 3840x2160 delivers 112 FPS average with a minimum of 95 FPS, making it the recommended choice for UHD displays. The High preset at 92 FPS is viable for players who prefer visual fidelity over headroom, but the Ultra preset at 57 FPS risks dropping below 60 FPS during intense scenes. The 4K Medium result provides smooth performance with a frame range of 95 to 129 FPS, ensuring the action remains fluid.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 147 FPS offers the best balance for high refresh rate monitors. The Ultra preset at 92 FPS is also playable and provides the maximum visual quality for this resolution. The Medium preset at 180 FPS is excessive for most 144Hz displays, and the Low preset at 220 FPS is only relevant for competitive play where frame rate is prioritized over visuals.

For 1080p, the Ultra preset at 129 FPS is fully playable and delivers the best visual experience without sacrificing smoothness. The High preset at 206 FPS supports 200Hz displays, while Medium at 252 FPS and Low at 308 FPS are overkill for standard 144Hz monitors. The Ultra setting at 1080p provides the most immersive horror experience with the highest texture and effect quality.

The measured data reveals that the Medium preset consistently provides the tightest frame pacing, as it is the only settings tier with recorded minimum and maximum values. At every resolution, Medium maintains a minimum FPS above 95, ensuring no significant drops during gameplay. This makes Medium the safest choice for players who prioritize consistent frame delivery over peak performance.

For players targeting 60 FPS as a baseline, the Ultra preset at 4K just misses this threshold at 57 FPS. Dropping to High at 4K provides 92 FPS, which is a 61% improvement and a more comfortable margin. At 1440p, all presets exceed 90 FPS, so players can freely choose based on visual preference. At 1080p, all presets exceed 120 FPS, making the Ultra preset the clear recommendation for maximum visual fidelity.