Downfall

Downfall is a 2016 horror title that stresses the GPU heavily at higher presets, and the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER delivers a wide range of performance depending on how you configure it. The measured data shows this pairing is capable of very high frame rates, but the gap between settings tiers is substantial, making your choice of preset more impactful than in many other games. This analysis focuses strictly on the measured FPS results and the hardware specifications provided to give you a clear picture of what to expect.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the High preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance for this specific CPU and GPU combo. At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers an average of 177 FPS, which is more than enough for a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate monitors. While the Low preset pushes that number to 264 FPS at the same resolution, the jump to Medium only yields 216 FPS, suggesting that the visual fidelity gains from High are well worth the 39 FPS drop from Medium. The data indicates that High is the sweet spot, as it provides a significant improvement in graphical fidelity over Medium without the steep performance penalty seen when moving to Ultra.

At 1920x1080, the High preset produces an average of 248 FPS, which is exceptionally high and leaves ample headroom for any future driver optimizations or background tasks. The Ultra preset, while visually superior, cuts performance nearly in half to 155 FPS at this resolution. The 4K results reinforce this recommendation, where High achieves 110 FPS average, a very playable number, whereas Ultra drops to 69 FPS, which can feel less fluid in a horror title where reaction time matters. The Medium preset provides a marginal FPS boost over High at 4K (134 FPS vs 110 FPS), but the visual compromise is generally not worth it for a game like this.

For users with 144Hz or 165Hz displays, the High preset at 1440p is the clear choice. It hits 177 FPS average, which is above the refresh rate of most monitors, ensuring that the GPU is not the bottleneck. If you have a 240Hz monitor at 1080p, the High preset still delivers 248 FPS, which is close to that ceiling. The data does not show any minimum FPS values for the High or Ultra presets, but the Medium preset shows a minimum of 183 FPS at 1440p and 257 FPS at 1080p, indicating that frame pacing is consistent at those settings. The Ultra preset, while demanding, still provides playable frame rates, but the performance hit is steep enough that it should only be used if you prioritize visual fidelity over raw FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the primary driver of the frame rate differences between presets in Downfall. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 672.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is sufficient for the game’s demands, as the measured FPS scales predictably with resolution and settings. The GPU has a boost clock of 2610 MHz and contains 8448 shading units, 264 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs. These specifications translate directly to the performance deltas seen in the data; for instance, at 4K, moving from Low to Ultra reduces the average FPS from 164 to 69, a 58% drop that highlights how much the GPU’s compute and memory subsystems are stressed by the higher preset.

The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER also includes 66 RT cores and 264 tensor cores, which are relevant for any ray tracing or DLSS features in the game, though the measured data does not specify if these are active. The GPU’s FP32 performance is 44.10 TFLOPS, which supports the high frame rates observed at 1080p and 1440p. The measured benchmark scores for the GPU show a Passmark G3D score of 31811 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5569, placing it in the 76th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA TITAN RTX, which is 1.9% slower, and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell, which is 1.4% faster, according to the deltaPct values. This indicates that the 4070 Ti SUPER is a solid mid-to-high-tier performer.

The VRAM capacity of 16 GB proves adequate for Downfall, as the game does not appear to exceed this limit even at 4K Ultra, given that the system still delivers 69 FPS. The memory bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s is a critical factor for the 4K performance, where the data shows a 110 FPS average on High. The GPU’s power draw is listed at 285 W, with a suggested PSU of 600 W, but the actual power consumption during gaming is not provided in the data. The GPU is an end-of-life product, but its performance in this title remains competitive, as evidenced by its ability to push 369 FPS at 1080p Low.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in Downfall?

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 on High settings provides the best experience with an average of 177 FPS. This resolution offers a strong balance between visual clarity and performance, as 4K High drops to 110 FPS and 1080p High goes up to 248 FPS, which is excessive for most displays.

Q: How much performance do I lose by switching from High to Ultra settings?

A: The performance penalty is significant. At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops from 110 on High to 69 on Ultra, a reduction of 41 FPS. At 2560x1440, it drops from 177 to 111 FPS, and at 1920x1080, it drops from 248 to 155 FPS. This translates to roughly a 37-38% performance loss across all resolutions.

Q: Is the 16 GB VRAM on the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER enough for Downfall?

A: Yes, the measured data confirms that the 16 GB of GDDR6X memory is sufficient. The game runs at 4K Ultra with an average of 69 FPS, which indicates that the VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor. The memory bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s is adequate for the game’s demands.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 289th out of 2928 tested combinations for this game, placing it in the top 10% of all systems. This indicates that it is a high-performing setup for Downfall, though the exact comparisons to other CPUs and GPUs are not detailed in the provided data.

Q: What is the minimum FPS I can expect at Medium settings?

A: The measured data provides minimum FPS values only for the Medium preset. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 257 FPS, at 2560x1440 it is 183 FPS, and at 3840x2160 it is 114 FPS. These are the only presets with recorded minimum FPS values.

Q: Does the CPU limit performance at any settings?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher settings. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 369 FPS, which is very high, but the CPU’s performance is not separately measured in the game. The CPU’s single-thread score of 2439 in Cinebench R23 and multithread score of 44253 indicate it is capable, but specific game bottlenecks are not evident from the FPS data alone.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combo show a clear scaling pattern across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 369 FPS, which is the highest recorded value. The Medium preset delivers 302 FPS with a minimum of 257 FPS and a maximum of 347 FPS. The High preset drops to 248 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 155 FPS. This progression shows a 58% reduction in performance from Low to Ultra at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 264 FPS, which is still extremely high. The Medium preset produces 216 FPS, with a minimum of 183 FPS and a maximum of 248 FPS. The High preset averages 177 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 111 FPS. The relative performance drop from Low to Ultra is 58%, consistent with the 1080p results. The step from High to Ultra at this resolution is a 66 FPS reduction, which is the largest single-setting jump in the data.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 164 FPS, making it playable even at 4K. The Medium preset averages 134 FPS, with a minimum of 114 FPS and a maximum of 154 FPS. The High preset averages 110 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 69 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 58% performance loss, matching the other resolutions. Notably, the Medium preset at 4K has a higher average FPS than the High preset at 4K, but the difference is only 24 FPS, suggesting that the visual quality of High is preferable given the marginal FPS cost.

The data indicates that the Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, providing a frame time variance of 40 FPS at both 1080p and 1440p, and 40 FPS at 4K. This consistency suggests stable performance, though the lack of min/max data for other presets makes it impossible to compare frame pacing directly. Overall, the FPS breakdown shows that this combo is overkill for 1080p, ideal for 1440p, and capable of 4K gaming at reduced settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER combination ranks 289th out of 2928 tested combos for Downfall. This places the system in the top 9.9% of all configurations tested, which is a strong result. The high rank is supported by the measured FPS numbers, which exceed 100 FPS at 4K High and 177 FPS at 1440p High. The rank indicates that this combo outperforms the vast majority of other systems in this specific game, though the exact composition of those 2928 combos is not detailed.

The GPU’s percentile of 76% and the CPU’s percentile of 96% suggest that the CPU is a stronger component relative to its peers than the GPU. However, in Downfall, the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rates, as seen in the significant FPS drops when increasing settings. The combo’s rank of 289 is better than the GPU’s percentile alone would suggest, implying that the CPU helps avoid any potential bottlenecks, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is less stressed. The rank also reflects the GPU’s 16 GB VRAM and high bandwidth, which are advantageous in this title.

Comparatively, the GPU’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA TITAN RTX, which is 1.9% slower in average benchmark scores, and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell, which is 1.4% faster. These small deltas indicate that the 4070 Ti SUPER is closely matched with other top-tier GPUs from different generations. The combo’s rank of 289, while not top-tier, is still impressive given that there are 2928 possible combinations, many of which include more expensive or newer hardware. This suggests that for Downfall, this specific pairing offers a very competitive performance-to-experience ratio, even if the raw hardware is not the absolute fastest available.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus plays a supporting role in Downfall, as the game is primarily GPU-bound. The CPU has 24 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. This high boost clock is beneficial for games that rely on single-thread performance, though the measured game data does not isolate CPU performance. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 single-core score is 2439 and multi-core score is 44253, which are strong numbers that place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. This suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU without causing bottlenecks, especially at the lower resolutions where frame rates are very high.

The CPU’s memory support includes dual-channel DDR5 with a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s, which is sufficient for the game’s memory demands. The 36 MB of shared L3 cache helps with data locality, reducing latency in CPU-heavy scenes. The CPU’s nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6520P, which matches its average score, and the AMD EPYC 4564P, which is 1.5% slower. This indicates that the Ultra 7 270K Plus is competitive with enterprise-level processors in synthetic benchmarks, but its gaming performance is what matters here.

In Downfall, the CPU’s role is to maintain high minimum frame rates and ensure smooth gameplay. The data shows no minimum FPS values for the High or Ultra presets, but the Medium preset’s minimum FPS of 257 at 1080p suggests that the CPU can keep up with the GPU’s output. At 4K Ultra, where the GPU is heavily loaded, the CPU is less likely to be a bottleneck. The CPU’s integrated graphics are not relevant for this discrete GPU setup, and its 125 W TDP is modest compared to the GPU’s 285 W, indicating that the CPU is not a power or thermal concern in this pairing. Overall, the CPU provides a solid foundation for the GPU to reach its full potential in Downfall.