Downfall

# Downfall with Intel Core Ultra 7 265K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers exceptional frame rates in Downfall, a 2016 horror title, with the data showing that the combination ranks in the top 6.4% of all 1,741 tested combos for this game. The measured results reveal that this system is capable of maintaining triple-digit average FPS at 4K with High settings, and the performance scaling across resolutions indicates a well-balanced pairing where the GPU becomes the primary constraint only at higher settings and resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data clearly indicates that High settings at 2560x1440 provide the strongest balance of visual fidelity and performance for this combination, delivering 187.6 FPS average. This represents a 56% improvement over the Ultra preset at the same resolution (120.3 FPS), while remaining visually rich for a horror title that relies on atmosphere.

For 3840x2160, High settings are the clear recommendation, generating 118.8 FPS average. This comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay while maintaining substantial visual quality. The Medium preset at 4K produces 145.4 FPS, but the jump from Medium to High costs only 26.6 FPS (18%), making High a worthwhile trade for enhanced detail. Ultra at 4K drops to 72.9 FPS, which is playable but represents a 39% reduction from High, and the marginal visual gains in a horror game do not justify the performance penalty.

At 1920x1080, the system is heavily CPU-bound at lower presets, with Low achieving 400.1 FPS and Medium reaching 326.5 FPS. High settings at 1080p yield 264.8 FPS, while Ultra delivers 166.9 FPS. For competitive or high-refresh-rate displays, High at 1080p is the optimal choice, as the 97.9 FPS gap between High and Ultra is not offset by the visual improvements in a game of this era.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame places this specific CPU-GPU pairing at rank 112 out of 1,741 tested combinations, placing it in the top 6.4% of all systems benchmarked for Downfall. This is a strong result for a horror title that does not typically scale with high-end hardware as aggressively as modern AAA releases.

The CPU's nearest rivals provide context for the system's overall capability. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K scores within 0.2% of both the 265KF and Core i9-14900KF, and 0.9% behind the Core i9-14900K, indicating that the processor is performing at the top tier of desktop CPUs. The GPU similarly sits close to its nearest competitors, with the RTX 4080 SUPER edging out the Radeon RX 6900 XT by 0.2% and the Radeon Pro W6600M by 0.4%, while leading the RTX 5070 Ti by 2.9%.

The combination of a 97th percentile CPU and 88th percentile GPU explains the strong overall ranking. The data shows that this pairing avoids significant bottlenecking, as evidenced by the smooth scaling of FPS across resolution changes.

GPU Role

The RTX 4080 SUPER carries a 16 GB GDDR6X memory buffer on a 256-bit bus, delivering 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2295 MHz with a boost clock of 2550 MHz, and its memory runs at 1438 MHz with 23 Gbps effective speed. These specifications position the card for high-resolution gaming, and the measured results confirm this capability.

In Downfall, the GPU's influence becomes increasingly pronounced at higher resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 400.1 FPS, suggesting the CPU is the limiting factor. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 72.9 FPS, a 82% reduction from 1080p Low, demonstrating the GPU's growing role as the resolution and quality demands increase.

The GPU's 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 80 RT cores contribute to its ability to handle the game's rendering load, though Downfall's 2016 vintage means it does not utilize modern ray tracing features. The 320 TMUs and 112 ROPs provide ample texture and pixel throughput, with a pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s supporting the measured frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers 400.1 FPS on Low, 326.5 FPS on Medium, 264.8 FPS on High, and 166.9 FPS on Ultra. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 58% performance reduction, with the largest single-step drop occurring between High and Ultra at 97.9 FPS (37%).

At 2560x1440, results are 283.6 FPS on Low, 230.3 FPS on Medium, 187.6 FPS on High, and 120.3 FPS on Ultra. The Low-to-Ultra reduction is 58%, mirroring the 1080p scaling. The step from High to Ultra represents a 67.3 FPS decrease (36%).

At 3840x2160, the system produces 174.9 FPS on Low, 145.4 FPS on Medium, 118.8 FPS on High, and 72.9 FPS on Ultra. The Low-to-Ultra reduction is 58%, consistent with the other resolutions. The High-to-Ultra gap is 45.9 FPS (39%), the largest proportional drop in the dataset.

The consistency of the Low-to-Ultra reduction across all three resolutions indicates that the game's settings scaling is uniform, and the system's response to these settings is predictable.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination achieves in Downfall?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 400.1 at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this setup?

A: Yes, 4K High settings deliver 118.8 FPS average, and even 4K Ultra maintains 72.9 FPS, which remains playable.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K scores within 0.2% of the Core Ultra 7 265KF and Core i9-14900KF, and 0.9% behind the Core i9-14900K in average benchmark scores.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER ranks in the 88th percentile versus all GPUs based on its average benchmark score.

Q: What memory bandwidth does the GPU provide?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER delivers 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth from its 16 GB GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus.

Q: How many total combos were tested for this game?

A: The combo ranks 112 out of 1,741 tested combinations for Downfall.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K features 20 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. Built on a 3 nm process by TSMC with 17,800 million transistors, the Arrow Lake-S architecture provides substantial processing capability. The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB L2 cache per core support its workload handling.

The CPU's benchmark scores demonstrate strong performance across various workloads. In Cinebench R23, it scores 50,009 multi-core and 7,060 single-core. PassMark results show 58,838 multi-thread and 4,904 single-thread scores. The CPU ranks in the 97th percentile versus all CPUs, placing it among the top processors available.

In Downfall, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the 400.1 FPS result indicates the CPU can push frame rates well beyond typical display refresh rates. The relatively small FPS drops from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings (400.1 to 283.6, a 29% reduction) suggest the CPU maintains its advantage until the GPU becomes more heavily loaded at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows consistent FPS scaling across resolutions. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at Low settings reduces average FPS from 400.1 to 283.6, a 29% drop. At Medium settings, the reduction is 326.5 to 230.3 (29%). High settings drop from 264.8 to 187.6 (29%), and Ultra from 166.9 to 120.3 (28%).

Scaling from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 shows more pronounced reductions. Low settings drop from 283.6 to 174.9 (38%), Medium from 230.3 to 145.4 (37%), High from 187.6 to 118.8 (37%), and Ultra from 120.3 to 72.9 (39%).

The consistent percentage drops across settings at each resolution step indicate that the system scales linearly with pixel count. The larger drops at 4K suggest the GPU becomes the limiting component at that resolution, particularly at Ultra settings where the 72.9 FPS result represents the most GPU-bound scenario in the dataset. The CPU's high single-thread performance, evidenced by its 7,060 Cinebench R23 single-core score, ensures the system remains responsive even when the GPU is the primary constraint.