Downfall

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates for Downfall with the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 show a classic resolution scaling curve, but with some notable deviations that reveal the underlying hardware dynamics. At 1080p High settings, the combo produces 192 FPS average. Moving to 1440p High drops this to 137 FPS, a reduction of 55 FPS or roughly 29%. The jump to 4K High further reduces the average to 85 FPS, which is 38% lower than the 1440p result and 56% lower than the 1080p figure.

This scaling pattern becomes more pronounced when examining the Low settings preset. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 287 FPS average. The 1440p Low result is 205 FPS, a drop of 82 FPS (29%). At 4K Low, the average falls to 127 FPS, which is 38% lower than 1440p and 56% lower than 1080p. The consistency of these percentage drops across both High and Low presets suggests that the rendering pipeline is scaling predictably with pixel count.

The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory. From 235 FPS at 1080p Medium, the average drops to 168 FPS at 1440p Medium (a 29% reduction), then to 104 FPS at 4K Medium (a 38% reduction from 1440p). The Ultra preset follows the same proportional pattern: 120 FPS at 1080p, 86 FPS at 1440p, and 53 FPS at 4K.

What the data indicates is that the RTX 4080 remains the dominant factor across all resolutions, but the scaling between 1440p and 4K is steeper than between 1080p and 1440p. This is typical of a GPU that has enough headroom at lower resolutions to be partially limited by other factors, while at 4K the GPU becomes more fully saturated. The fact that the percentage drops are nearly identical across all four quality presets reinforces that the resolution transition is the primary variable affecting performance, rather than any specific setting interacting with resolution in a non-linear way.

It is notably the 4K Ultra result of 53 FPS is the only measured configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered smooth for this genre. The 4K High result of 85 FPS remains comfortably playable, while 4K Medium at 104 FPS offers substantial headroom. The data suggests that at 4K, the GPU is the limiting component, as evidenced by the dramatic drop from High to Ultra — a 32 FPS penalty (38%) that cannot be attributed to CPU limitations.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. Its base clock is 2.70 GHz with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The CPU carries 36 MB of shared L3 cache, with 192 KB of L1 and 3 MB of L2 per core. Memory support is DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, providing 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates strong multi-threaded performance. Cinebench R23 multi-core yields 35589 points, while single-core reaches 2204 points. Geekbench multi-core scores 20795, and single-core scores 2458. Passmark multi-thread results show 55759 points, with single-thread at 4713. The CPU's percentile ranking against all CPUs is 94, indicating it outperforms the vast majority of tested processors.

The nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark score include the Intel Xeon w5-3525 at 67673 (0.3% ahead), AMD EPYC 4484PX at 67822 (0.5% ahead), AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX at 67868 (0.6% ahead), and Intel Xeon 6515P at 67006 (0.7% behind). The Core Ultra 9 275HX's average benchmark score is 67469, placing it squarely in this performance band.

For Downfall, the CPU's role can be inferred from the frame rate scaling across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 287 FPS average. This is a high frame rate that could potentially expose CPU limitations, but the fact that 4K Low still achieves 127 FPS suggests the CPU is not bottlenecking even at lower resolutions. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect the 1080p and 1440p results to be closer together, as the GPU would have headroom to render more frames but the CPU would cap the output.

The 24 cores and 24 threads provide ample parallel processing capability for a game of Downfall's era. The 2016 release date means this game was designed for hardware with far fewer cores, so the Core Ultra 9 275HX likely has significant surplus thread capacity. The high boost clock of 5.40 GHz also benefits single-threaded game logic, which often remains the primary CPU workload in older titles.

The data shows that the CPU's 94th percentile ranking translates into sustained high frame rates even in the most demanding 4K Ultra scenario, where the 53 FPS result is far more likely to be GPU-bound than CPU-bound. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s is also sufficient for the game's data streaming requirements, given that 4K Medium maintains 104 FPS average with a minimum of 89 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process, with 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. The chip, designated AD103, contains 9728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output pipelines. Ray tracing cores number 76, with 304 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2205 MHz and a boost clock of 2505 MHz, with memory running at 1400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective).

Memory configuration consists of 16 GB of GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus, delivering 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The pixel rate is 280.6 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 761.5 GTexel/s. Compute performance is rated at 48.74 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16. The GPU's TDP is 320 W, with a suggested power supply of 700 W. It connects via PCIe 4.0 x16 and occupies a triple-slot form factor.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4080 achieves 6567 points in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 214739 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 263779 in Geekbench Vulkan. Passmark G3D score is 34457, with G2D at 1239. The GPU's percentile ranking against all GPUs is 86, with an average benchmark score of 54247. Its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, scores 54209 (0.1% behind), while the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828 (1.1% ahead).

The GPU's role in Downfall becomes clear when examining the measured frame rates. The 4K Ultra result of 53 FPS is the most demanding configuration, and the substantial gap between 4K High (85 FPS) and 4K Ultra (53 FPS) — a 38% reduction — indicates that the Ultra preset introduces rendering features that heavily tax the GPU. This is consistent with the RTX 4080's specifications, particularly its 16 GB VRAM capacity, which is sufficient for 4K textures but may still struggle with the most extreme settings.

The RTX 4080's 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs means it sits below the very top tier but remains a high-end part. The data shows that at 1440p and below, this GPU provides excellent frame rates — 192 FPS at 1080p High and 137 FPS at 1440p High. These numbers suggest the GPU has substantial headroom at lower resolutions, and the CPU is capable of feeding it adequately to reach these levels.

The 716.8 GB/s memory bandwidth is a key factor for 4K performance, where texture streaming and frame buffer requirements increase dramatically. The 4K Medium result of 104 FPS average, with a minimum of 89 FPS and maximum of 120 FPS, demonstrates that the GPU can handle 4K when settings are moderated. The VRAM capacity of 16 GB is also relevant here, as Downfall's 2016 release likely does not require more than this amount even at 4K Ultra.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings at each resolution. At 1080p, all presets deliver playable frame rates: Low achieves 287 FPS, Medium 235 FPS, High 192 FPS, and Ultra 120 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p still maintains 120 FPS average, which is well above typical display refresh rates. Given the minimal performance penalty relative to the visual quality gain, Ultra at 1080p is the recommended choice for users with high-refresh-rate displays.

At 1440p, the results show 205 FPS on Low, 168 FPS on Medium, 137 FPS on High, and 86 FPS on Ultra. The High preset at 137 FPS offers an excellent balance of visual fidelity and performance, comfortably exceeding the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 86 FPS remains smooth for most users, but the 51 FPS gap between High and Ultra suggests diminishing returns. For 1440p, High is the recommended preset, with Ultra as an option for those prioritizing image quality over raw frame rate.

The 4K resolution presents the most interesting decision. Low delivers 127 FPS, Medium 104 FPS, High 85 FPS, and Ultra 53 FPS. The Ultra preset falls below 60 FPS, which may cause noticeable stuttering in a horror game where smooth motion is important for immersion. The High preset at 85 FPS provides a 32 FPS advantage over Ultra, which is a substantial margin. Medium at 104 FPS offers additional headroom while still maintaining respectable visual quality.

For 4K, the data strongly favors High as the optimal preset. It delivers 85 FPS average, which is 60% higher than Ultra's 53 FPS, while the visual difference between High and Ultra in a 2016 title is likely minimal. The Medium preset at 104 FPS is also viable for users who prioritize frame rate, but High appears to be the sweet spot for balancing quality and performance.

The minimum FPS data available for Medium presets provides additional insight. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 89 FPS, giving a narrow 15 FPS range between minimum and average. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 142 FPS against an average of 168 FPS, a 26 FPS range. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 199 FPS versus 235 FPS average, a 36 FPS range. This indicates that frame time consistency improves as resolution increases, likely due to the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck and smoothing out CPU-related frame hitches.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 1219 out of 3716 tested combos for Downfall. This places it in the 67th percentile of all tested combinations, meaning roughly two-thirds of all combos tested perform worse in this game. The ranking reflects the RTX 4080's 86th percentile GPU ranking and the CPU's 94th percentile CPU ranking, though the combo's overall position is lower than either component's individual standing.

This discrepancy suggests that Downfall's performance is not perfectly correlated with raw component strength. The game's 2016 release date means it was designed for older hardware, and modern components may not see their full benchmark potential translated into in-game frame rates. The combo rank of 1219 out of 3716 indicates that many other configurations outperform this pairing in Downfall specifically, despite the components' strong synthetic benchmark scores.

The GPU's nearest rivals provide context for its in-game standing. The RTX 4080 SUPER scores 0.1% lower in aggregate benchmarks, which is effectively a tie. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 1.1% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 2.6% higher. These small percentage differences in synthetic tests likely translate to similarly small differences in Downfall, meaning the combo's ranking is not far from what would be expected given its component scores.

The CPU's nearest rivals similarly show tight clustering. The Xeon w5-3525 is 0.3% ahead, the EPYC 4484PX is 0.5% ahead, and the Threadripper PRO 5955WX is 0.6% ahead. These differences are within normal variation for synthetic benchmarks and unlikely to produce meaningful differences in Downfall's frame rates. The combo rank of 1219 out of 3716, therefore, reflects both the components' inherent capabilities and the game's specific optimization patterns.

Given that the combo outperforms 2497 other tested configurations, it sits in the upper-middle tier of all tested combinations. For a horror game like Downfall, where frame rate stability is more important than raw performance, the measured results indicate this combo provides a solid experience across most settings and resolutions, with only the 4K Ultra preset falling below the 60 FPS threshold.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and preset combination for this hardware in Downfall?

A: The data shows that 1440p High delivers 137 FPS average, while 4K High delivers 85 FPS. For the best balance of visual quality and performance, 1440p High is recommended, as it maintains a high frame rate while offering good visual fidelity. The 4K Ultra preset, at 53 FPS, is the only configuration that falls below 60 FPS.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra preset compare to 4K High in terms of performance?

A: The 4K Ultra preset produces 53 FPS average, which is 32 FPS lower than the 4K High result of 85 FPS. This represents a 38% performance reduction when moving from High to Ultra at 4K resolution, indicating that the Ultra preset imposes a significant rendering burden on the RTX 4080.

Q: Is this system more CPU-bound or GPU-bound at 1080p?

A: The frame rate scaling from 1080p Low (287 FPS) to 1440p Low (205 FPS) shows a 29% reduction, and from 1440p Low to 4K Low (127 FPS) shows a 38% reduction. This consistent scaling pattern indicates the GPU is the primary limiting factor, as the CPU does not cap frame rates at any resolution tested.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo in Downfall?

A: The only configurations with reported minimum FPS are the Medium presets. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 199 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 142 FPS. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 89 FPS. Other presets do not have minimum FPS data in the measured results.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its closest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247, while its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, scores 54209, which is 0.1% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, which is 1.1% higher. These differences are minimal and unlikely to produce noticeable differences in Downfall.

Q: What does the combo's ranking of 1219 out of 3716 indicate about its performance?

A: The combo rank of 1219 out of 3716 means this configuration outperforms approximately 67% of all tested combinations in Downfall. This places it in the upper-middle tier, consistent with the CPU's 94th percentile and GPU's 86th percentile rankings, though the game's 2016 release date may limit how fully modern hardware can express its advantage.