Downfall

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

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX is a 20-core, 20-thread mobile processor based on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture, built on a 3 nm process at TSMC. It runs with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a 55 W TDP. The processor includes a 30 MB shared L3 cache, along with 192 KB L1 and 3 MB L2 per core. Memory support is dual-channel DDR5 with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. In the context of Downfall, a horror title from 2016, the CPU's role is less about raw multi-threaded throughput and more about sustaining high single-core performance to feed the GPU.

Benchmark data for the processor shows a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 40,642 and a single-core score of 5,737. The PassMark single-thread score is 4,500, while the multi-thread score is 47,985. These numbers indicate a strong CPU that ranks in the 93rd percentile among all processors. When compared to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 7 265HX scores within 0.7% of the Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX, 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P185, 0.1% of the Intel Core i7-13790F, and -0.2% of the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G. This tight clustering suggests that for a game like Downfall, the CPU is unlikely to be a differentiator at high resolutions, but its high boost clock ensures that frame pacing remains consistent.

The 20-thread configuration is far more than Downfall requires, as the game's engine from 2016 is not designed to exploit such parallelism. However, the high single-core performance does matter for the game's physics and AI routines. The measured FPS at 1080p with Low settings reaches 328 FPS, which is well beyond typical display refresh rates. This figure suggests that the CPU can handle the game's logic without bottlenecking the GPU, even at low resolutions where the GPU has less work to do. The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is capable of delivering more frames than any reasonable display can show, making it a non-limiting factor in most scenarios.

# FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with High settings for the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX + RTX 5090 combo in Downfall?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 157 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-core performance compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13790F?

A: The Core Ultra 7 265HX has an average benchmark score of 63,173, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-13790F's average score of 63,080.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded across all tested settings and resolutions for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS is 61 FPS, recorded at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded across all tested settings and resolutions for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 328 FPS, recorded at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Does the GPU's average benchmark score place it above or below the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT?

A: The RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79,842, which is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT's average score of 78,940.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested processor and GPU combinations in Downfall?

A: The combo ranks 803rd out of 3,716 tested combinations, placing it in the top 22% of all combos.

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

Examining the measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear pattern of scaling. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers 328 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings, the average drops to 234 FPS, a reduction of 94 FPS or approximately 28.7%. At 4K with Low settings, the average further drops to 146 FPS, a reduction of 88 FPS from 1440p or approximately 37.6% from 1080p. This substantial drop as resolution increases indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The pattern is consistent across all settings levels. With High settings, the FPS goes from 220 at 1080p to 157 at 1440p (a 28.6% drop), and then to 98 at 4K (a 37.6% drop from 1080p). With Medium settings, the numbers are 269 at 1080p, 192 at 1440p, and 119 at 4K. The percentage drops are similar, suggesting a uniform scaling behavior that is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios.

The Ultra settings show the most dramatic scaling. At 1080p, the combo achieves 138 FPS, which drops to 98 at 1440p (a 29% reduction) and then to 61 at 4K (a 55.8% reduction from 1080p). The larger percentage drop at 4K Ultra suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources are being saturated, particularly with the most demanding settings.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by the 328 FPS Low setting result. However, as resolution increases, the GPU workload grows, and the RTX 5090 becomes the limiting component. The consistent percentage drops across settings at each resolution step (approximately 28-29% from 1080p to 1440p, and approximately 37-56% from 1080p to 4K) confirm that resolution scaling is the dominant factor, rather than settings changes. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound workload at higher resolutions, with the CPU providing sufficient performance to avoid becoming a bottleneck.

# How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combo ranks 803rd out of 3,716 tested combinations in Downfall. This places the combo in the top 21.6% of all tested systems. While this rank is respectable, it is not at the very top of the list, which is notable given the high-end nature of both components.

The rank of 803 suggests that there are 802 other combinations that achieve higher performance in Downfall. This is somewhat surprising given the RTX 5090's position as a flagship GPU. However, the game's age and engine characteristics may favor different hardware configurations. The RTX 5090's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (0.3% higher), the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (0.6% higher), and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.1% higher). These close scores in synthetic benchmarks do not necessarily translate to identical gaming performance, as game-specific optimizations can vary.

The CPU's rank of 803 in the overall combo ranking is also influenced by the processor's performance relative to other CPUs. At 93rd percentile among all CPUs, the Core Ultra 7 265HX is a strong performer, but not the absolute fastest. The 20-core configuration and 5.30 GHz boost clock are competitive, but other CPUs may offer higher single-core performance or better memory latency characteristics that benefit this particular game.

In the context of the 3,716 tested combos, the 803rd rank means that this system is in the upper echelon of performance, but not at the very top. The data suggests that for Downfall specifically, there are other combinations that deliver higher frame rates, possibly due to different CPU-GPU balances or driver optimizations. The rank is a holistic measure of the combo's performance across all tested settings and resolutions, and the 803rd position reflects a system that is strong but not dominant in this specific title.

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

Analyzing the measured FPS data across all settings and resolutions, the Medium preset at 1440p appears to offer the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo delivers an average of 192 FPS, with a minimum of 163 FPS and a maximum of 221 FPS. This frame rate is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on modern monitors, providing a smooth experience without any perceptible stuttering.

For players targeting 4K, the High preset at 3840x2160 delivers an average of 98 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring a playable experience with high visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 61 FPS, which is right at the edge of 60 Hz displays. While this is technically playable, the 37 FPS drop from High to Ultra represents a significant reduction in smoothness for what may be a marginal visual improvement.

At 1080p, the Low preset achieves 328 FPS, which is far beyond any display's refresh rate. However, the Medium preset at 269 FPS (minimum 228 FPS, maximum 309 FPS) provides a much better visual experience while still maintaining frame rates that exceed 240 Hz displays. The High preset at 220 FPS is also excellent, and the Ultra preset at 138 FPS is still very smooth.

The data suggests that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for this combo. At 1080p, it delivers 269 FPS, which is 18.2% lower than Low but with substantially better visuals. At 1440p, Medium delivers 192 FPS, which is 17.9% lower than Low but still exceptionally smooth. At 4K, Medium delivers 119 FPS, which is 18.5% lower than Low but still well above 60 FPS.

The High preset is a strong alternative for users who prioritize visual quality over raw frame rates. At 4K, High delivers 98 FPS, which is 60.7% higher than Ultra's 61 FPS, making it a much better choice for 4K gaming. The Ultra preset, while visually the most demanding, only makes sense for players with 60 Hz displays who want maximum visual fidelity, as the 61 FPS average at 4K is right at the threshold of smoothness.

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

1920x1080:

At 1080p, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. With Low settings, the average FPS is 328. The Medium preset shows an average of 269 FPS, with a minimum of 228 FPS and a maximum of 309 FPS. High settings produce an average of 220 FPS. The Ultra preset, while the most demanding, still achieves an average of 138 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent degradation in performance, with Ultra delivering 42.1% of the Low setting's frame rate.

2560x1440:

At 1440p, the performance scales down predictably from 1080p. Low settings deliver an average of 234 FPS. The Medium preset achieves 192 FPS on average, with a minimum of 163 FPS and a maximum of 221 FPS. High settings produce 157 FPS on average. The Ultra preset drops to 98 FPS on average. The percentage drops from 1080p are consistent: Low drops by 28.7%, Medium by 28.6%, High by 28.6%, and Ultra by 29.0%. This uniformity indicates that the GPU is handling the resolution increase in a linear fashion.

3840x2160:

At 4K, the performance drops significantly, particularly at higher settings. Low settings deliver an average of 146 FPS. The Medium preset achieves 119 FPS on average, with a minimum of 101 FPS and a maximum of 137 FPS. High settings produce 98 FPS on average. The Ultra preset drops to 61 FPS on average. From 1080p to 4K, the percentage drops are: Low by 55.5%, Medium by 55.8%, High by 55.5%, and Ultra by 55.8%. The consistency of these drops across all settings confirms that resolution is the dominant factor, not the settings level.

Notably, the Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values across all resolutions. At 1080p, the minimum is 228 FPS and the maximum is 309 FPS, giving a range of 81 FPS. At 1440p, the minimum is 163 FPS and the maximum is 221 FPS, a range of 58 FPS. At 4K, the minimum is 101 FPS and the maximum is 137 FPS, a range of 36 FPS. The narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU becomes more consistently saturated, reducing frame time variance.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a flagship GPU based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, with a TDP of 575 W. The memory runs at 1750 MHz with an effective speed of 28 Gbps. The GPU includes 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster operation units, along with 170 ray tracing cores and 680 tensor cores.

In Downfall, the GPU's role is clearly dominant, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. The RTX 5090's 32 GB VRAM is far more than this 2016 game requires, but the sheer compute power drives the high frame rates observed. The GPU's PassMark G3D score is 39,650, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 18,355. The GPU ranks in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs.

The GPU's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (0.3% higher), the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (0.6% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.1% higher), and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X (-1.4% lower). These close scores suggest that in synthetic tests, the RTX 5090 is competitive with these other high-end GPUs, though gaming performance can differ based on driver optimizations and architecture-specific features.

The RTX 5090's high boost clock of 2407 MHz and massive shader count of 21,760 units are directly responsible for the high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p. At 4K Ultra, the GPU's 61 FPS average indicates that the workload is pushing the GPU to its limits, particularly in terms of memory bandwidth and compute throughput. The 1.79 TB/s memory bandwidth is sufficient for most scenarios, but the most demanding settings at 4K create a bottleneck that limits performance to just above 60 FPS.

The GPU's 32 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor in this game, as Downfall's texture and geometry requirements are modest by modern standards. The GPU's performance is instead limited by its compute resources and memory bandwidth at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows that the RTX 5090 is a capable GPU for this title, delivering playable frame rates at all tested settings and resolutions, with the exception of 4K Ultra, which barely maintains 60 FPS. The GPU's role is to provide the raw power necessary to drive the high resolutions and settings, and it does so effectively, though the 803rd combo rank indicates that other systems can achieve higher performance in this specific game.