Downfall

Downfall, a horror title from 2016, presents an interesting test for modern hardware. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER, based solely on measured data. The combination achieves a rank of 631 out of 3716 tested combos, placing it in the top 17% of all configurations. This suggests a strong pairing capable of delivering high frame rates, but the data reveals a nuanced story about where the bottleneck lies and how the system scales under different loads.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 631 out of 3716 tested configurations places it solidly in the upper echelon of gaming systems. This is a strong showing, though not a top-tier result, indicating that while this pairing is powerful, there are faster combinations available. The ranking reflects a balance between the CPU's capability and the GPU's raw performance, resulting in a system that should handle demanding titles with ease.

This rank is a composite of the individual component strengths. The Core Ultra 7 265K sits in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, a high standing that indicates excellent processing power. Its average benchmark score is 70879, which is within 1.3% of its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F. The GPU, an RTX 4070 SUPER, is in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 43223. Its performance is nearly identical to the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB, with a negligible delta of -0.1%. The combination of a high-percentile CPU and a high-percentile GPU logically results in a high overall rank.

The data suggests that neither component is a weak link that would drag the overall rank down. The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6511P and Intel Xeon Platinum 8270, which have slightly higher average scores, but the differences are less than 1%. This indicates the Core Ultra 7 265K is performing exactly as expected for its class. Similarly, the GPU's performance is on par with the RTX 5050 Mobile and RTX 4090 Mobile, showing it delivers consistent results in its segment. The rank of 631 is a direct consequence of these solid individual performances.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus. This configuration provides a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, which is a critical factor for high-resolution gaming. The GPU's base clock is 1980 MHz, with a boost clock of 2475 MHz. These clocks, combined with 7168 shading units, allow the card to process a significant amount of graphical data.

In the context of Downfall's measured results, the GPU's role becomes clear. The game is not particularly demanding by modern standards, given its 2016 release date. The RTX 4070 SUPER has ample power to push very high frame rates. For instance, at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 348 FPS. This is a scenario where the GPU is not the limiting factor; the frame rate is so high that it is likely being constrained by other parts of the system.

The GPU's 12 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for this title, even at 4K resolution with Ultra settings, where it still manages an average of 65 FPS. The 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth ensures that textures and geometry can be fed to the GPU quickly, avoiding stutters. The data shows a clear correlation between increasing graphical load and decreasing frame rates, which is the expected behavior for a GPU-bound scenario. The card's performance in 3DMark Steel Nomad (4627) and Passmark G3D (29995) benchmarks further corroborates its strong standing, but the measured FPS in Downfall is the most direct evidence of its gaming capability here.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable scaling pattern across resolutions, but the magnitude of the drops reveals key insights. When moving from 1080p to 1440p, the performance hit is noticeable but not drastic. For example, at High settings, the average FPS drops from 233 at 1080p to 167 at 1440p, a reduction of 66 FPS. This suggests the system is still largely capable of maintaining high refresh rates at this resolution.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is where the GPU's workload becomes much more significant. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 167 at 1440p to 104 at 4K, a reduction of 63 FPS. This is a clear indication that the RTX 4070 SUPER is becoming the primary bottleneck. The increase in pixel count from 1440p to 4K is substantial, and the GPU's rendering pipeline must work considerably harder.

The pattern holds across all settings. At Ultra settings, the system goes from 146 FPS at 1080p to 104 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 65 FPS at 4K. This shows that the performance penalty for moving to 4K is severe, essentially halving the frame rate compared to 1440p in some cases. This scaling behavior is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. The CPU is powerful enough to feed frames at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the GPU's raw rendering power becomes the limiting factor. The data suggests that for a 4K experience in Downfall, users should expect a significant drop in frame rates compared to lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive look at performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. The Low preset yields an average of 348 FPS, which is extraordinarily high. Medium settings produce an average of 284 FPS, with a minimum of 242 and a maximum of 327. High settings follow with 233 FPS average. The Ultra preset, while still fast at 146 FPS average, is significantly lower than the other presets, indicating a heavy demand on the GPU.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain highly playable. The Low preset delivers an average of 248 FPS. Medium settings see a drop to 203 FPS average, with a range of 173 to 234 FPS. High settings produce a solid 167 FPS average. The Ultra preset at 1440p yields 104 FPS average, which is exactly the same as the 4K High preset average. This is an interesting data point, showing that the graphical load of 1440p Ultra is similar to 4K High for this GPU.

At 3840x2160, the performance is more demanding. The Low preset still manages a very playable 155 FPS average. Medium settings drop to 126 FPS average, with a minimum of 107 and a maximum of 145. High settings follow at 104 FPS average. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, resulting in a 65 FPS average. This breakdown shows that the RTX 4070 SUPER can handle 4K in this game, but only at lower settings for high refresh rate gameplay. For a smooth 60+ FPS experience at 4K, the Medium or High presets appear to be the appropriate choices.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. Its base clock is 3.90 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. This high boost clock is crucial for gaming performance, as it allows for strong single-threaded performance, which is often more important than multi-threaded performance in games. The CPU's L3 cache is 30 MB (shared), and it supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus.

In Downfall, the CPU's role is to maintain a high frame rate ceiling. The measured data suggests that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU is not the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system hits 348 FPS, a rate that is likely beyond the capabilities of many displays. This indicates that the CPU is capable of processing game logic and draw calls quickly enough to feed the GPU. The CPU's 20 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient for a game from 2016, which likely does not utilize that many threads.

The CPU's benchmark scores confirm its strength. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 35850, and its single-core score is 2020. These are strong numbers that place it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. The high single-core score is particularly relevant for gaming. The data shows that the CPU's performance is very close to its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-14700KF, which has a deltaPct of 1%. This means the 265K is slightly faster on average, but the difference is minimal.

The CPU's role becomes less significant as the resolution increases. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The CPU's job is to ensure it can provide the GPU with enough data to keep it busy, and the high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p suggest it does this without issue. The fact that the 4K Ultra preset drops to 65 FPS reflects the GPU's workload, not a sign of CPU weakness.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combo in Downfall?

A: The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 631 out of 3716 tested combos in Downfall.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 SUPER's performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: Its average benchmark score is 43223. It is 0.1% slower than the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB and 0.1% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate is 348 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded in the data?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 65 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with the Ultra settings preset.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F?

A: The Core Ultra 7 265K has a 1.3% higher average benchmark score than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, which is its closest rival.

Q: At which resolution does the GPU become the clear limiting factor?

A: At 3840x2160 (4K), the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. The average frame rate drops significantly compared to lower resolutions, such as from 167 FPS at 1440p to 104 FPS at 4K on High settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear guide for optimizing the experience in Downfall. For users with a 1080p display, the High preset at 233 FPS average is an excellent choice, offering a great balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 146 FPS is also more than sufficient for a high refresh rate monitor, but the jump from High to Ultra comes with a significant 87 FPS average cost. The Medium preset at 284 FPS is a viable option for those seeking the highest possible frame rates.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers an average of 167 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz displays. The Medium preset at 203 FPS is even better for maximizing smoothness. The Ultra preset at 104 FPS is still very playable and would be suitable for a 100Hz or 120Hz monitor. Given that the 1440p Ultra performance (104 FPS) exactly matches the 4K High performance (104 FPS), users should prioritize resolution or settings based on their display's native resolution.

For 4K users, the data suggests that the Medium preset at 126 FPS average is the sweet spot for a smooth, high-quality experience. The High preset at 104 FPS is also a strong choice. The Ultra preset at 65 FPS is playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced action, as the lower frame rate can be less responsive. Based on the measured rows, the best overall experience is achieved at 1440p with the High or Medium preset, which provides a high frame rate and good visual fidelity. For 4K, the Medium preset is the recommended choice to maintain a frame rate above 120 FPS.