Downfall

# Downfall with Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers an exceptional experience in Downfall, a 2016 horror title that remains demanding at high resolutions. The measured data shows this combo ranks 826th out of 3,716 tested configurations, placing it in the top 22% of all tested combos. The RTX 4090's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and the 275HX's 24 cores combine to produce frame rates that range from a playable 59 FPS at 4K Ultra to a blistering 314 FPS at 1080p Low, demonstrating that this pairing is capable of handling both maximum fidelity and maximum refresh rate scenarios.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data across four settings presets at three resolutions reveals a clear hierarchy in performance scaling. At 4K, the Ultra preset delivers 59 FPS average, which is technically playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes common in horror titles. The High preset at 4K jumps to 94 FPS, a 59% improvement over Ultra, while Medium reaches 114 FPS and Low peaks at 140 FPS. For players prioritizing smoothness at 4K, the High preset represents the optimal balance, as it nearly doubles the Ultra frame rate while maintaining substantial visual quality over Medium and Low.

At 1440p, the data shows a similar pattern with higher absolute numbers. Ultra averages 94 FPS, High reaches 150 FPS, Medium hits 184 FPS, and Low achieves 224 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p provides the best experience for high-refresh-rate displays, offering 184 FPS with minimum frame times of 156 FPS, which ensures consistent frame pacing. The gap between High and Medium is 34 FPS, while the gap between Medium and Low is 40 FPS, suggesting that Medium captures most of the visual quality benefits while still delivering excellent performance.

At 1080p, the story shifts toward extreme frame rates. Ultra averages 132 FPS, High reaches 211 FPS, Medium delivers 257 FPS, and Low hits 314 FPS. For competitive or high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p, the Medium preset is the recommended choice because it provides 257 FPS average with a minimum of 218 FPS, which is well above the threshold for 240 Hz displays. The Low preset's 314 FPS offers diminishing returns for most display technology, while Ultra at 132 FPS is still smooth but sacrifices significant frame rate for marginal visual gains.

The overall recommendation across all resolutions is the Medium preset, as it consistently delivers the best combination of frame rate and visual fidelity. At 4K Medium, the 114 FPS average with a 97 FPS minimum ensures smooth gameplay, while at 1440p and 1080p, Medium provides 184 and 257 FPS respectively. The High preset is a viable alternative for players who prioritize visual quality, but the data shows that Medium offers the most balanced experience without the steep performance penalty of Ultra.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 serves as the primary performance driver in this configuration, particularly at higher resolutions. The GPU features 16,384 shading units, 512 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units, with 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores. Its AD102 chip on the 5 nm process contains 76,300 million transistors across a 609 mm² die, and the boost clock reaches 2520 MHz. The 24 GB of GDDR6X memory operates across a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for Downfall's texture-heavy horror environments.

The GPU's memory configuration proves especially important at 4K resolution. The 24 GB capacity ensures that even the most demanding texture packs and high-resolution assets fit entirely within VRAM, eliminating any potential stuttering from memory swapping. The 1.01 TB/s bandwidth provides the throughput needed to feed the GPU's 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 compute performance, allowing the card to maintain high frame rates even when rendering complex lighting and shadow effects typical of horror games.

Benchmark results for the RTX 4090 show a PassMark G3D score of 38,194 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 271,631, with an OpenCL score of 255,416. The GPU's average benchmark score of 60,347 places it at the 88th percentile of all GPUs, with nearest rivals including the Intel Arc Pro A60 (delta 0%), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (delta 0.3%), AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (delta -2.5%), and AMD Radeon PRO V710 (delta 2.9%). These comparisons indicate that the RTX 4090 sits in a performance tier well above typical gaming GPUs, which is reflected in Downfall's measured frame rates.

The GPU's thermal design power of 450 W and triple-slot form factor indicate that this is a high-power component designed for maximum performance rather than efficiency. The 1x 16-pin power connector and 850 W suggested PSU requirement further emphasize the GPU's power demands. In Downfall specifically, the GPU's capabilities shine at 4K where the frame rate drops from 140 FPS at Low to 59 FPS at Ultra, showing that the game's Ultra preset is heavily GPU-bound and that the RTX 4090 has the headroom to handle this load.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 826 out of 3,716 tested combinations places this configuration in the top 22.2% of all tested systems, which is notable given the breadth of hardware combinations in the database. This rank reflects the synergy between the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and the RTX 4090, where the CPU's 24 cores and the GPU's massive compute resources work together to deliver consistent frame rates across all tested settings.

The CPU's percentile ranking versus all processors is 94%, with an average benchmark score of 67,469. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon w5-3525 (avg score 67,673, delta -0.3%), AMD EPYC 4484PX (avg score 67,822, delta -0.5%), AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX (avg score 67,868, delta -0.6%), and Intel Xeon 6515P (avg score 67,006, delta 0.7%). These deltas show that the 275HX performs within 0.7% of these workstation-class processors, which is remarkable for a mobile CPU.

The GPU's percentile ranking is 88%, with an average benchmark score of 60,347. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Arc Pro A60 (delta 0%), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (delta 0.3%), AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (delta -2.5%), and AMD Radeon PRO V710 (delta 2.9%). The RTX 4090's benchmark scores, particularly the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9,223 and PassMark G3D score of 38,194, demonstrate its position at the upper echelon of GPU performance.

The combination rank of 826 suggests that while both components are individually strong, the pairing is not the absolute top configuration in the database. This is likely due to the mobile nature of the 275HX, which, despite its impressive performance, may be slightly bottlenecked in certain scenarios compared to desktop flagship CPUs. However, the measured FPS data shows that this combination still delivers exceptional performance in Downfall, with no resolution or settings preset falling below 59 FPS average.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 4K resolution (3840x2160), the measured average frame rates show a clear progression across settings. Low settings produce 140 FPS average, Medium achieves 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS and maximum of 131 FPS, High reaches 94 FPS, and Ultra drops to 59 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K provides the most stable experience, with the 97 FPS minimum indicating that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays well above 60 FPS. The jump from High to Ultra represents a 35 FPS drop, which is the largest single-settings penalty at this resolution.

At 1440p (2560x1440), the frame rates scale upward significantly. Low settings deliver 224 FPS average, Medium achieves 184 FPS with a minimum of 156 FPS and maximum of 211 FPS, High reaches 150 FPS, and Ultra averages 94 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p shows excellent consistency, with the minimum frame rate only 28 FPS below the average. The gap between High and Ultra is 56 FPS, indicating that Ultra settings at 1440p impose a substantial load on the GPU.

At 1080p (1920x1080), performance reaches its peak. Low settings produce 314 FPS average, Medium achieves 257 FPS with a minimum of 218 FPS and maximum of 295 FPS, High reaches 211 FPS, and Ultra averages 132 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p demonstrates remarkable stability, with the minimum frame rate of 218 FPS still exceeding the maximum frame rate of many other configurations at this resolution. The scaling from Ultra to Low at 1080p shows a 182 FPS difference, highlighting how the RTX 4090's raw power is most evident at lower settings where GPU bottlenecks are reduced.

The data reveals that the RTX 4090 maintains a minimum of 97 FPS across all tested configurations except 4K Ultra (59 FPS) and 1440p Ultra (94 FPS). This suggests that the GPU has sufficient headroom to handle Downfall's demands at most settings, with only the most extreme combinations pushing it below 100 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K demonstrates the GPU-bound nature of Downfall at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 314 FPS at 1080p to 224 FPS at 1440p (a 28.7% decrease) and then to 140 FPS at 4K (a 55.4% decrease from 1080p). At Medium settings, the progression is from 257 FPS at 1080p to 184 FPS at 1440p (a 28.4% decrease) and 114 FPS at 4K (a 55.6% decrease). At High settings, the numbers go from 211 FPS at 1080p to 150 FPS at 1440p (a 28.9% decrease) and 94 FPS at 4K (a 55.5% decrease). At Ultra settings, the drop is from 132 FPS at 1080p to 94 FPS at 1440p (a 28.8% decrease) and 59 FPS at 4K (a 55.3% decrease).

The consistent percentage decreases across all settings presets—approximately 28-29% from 1080p to 1440p and 55% from 1080p to 4K—indicate that the performance scaling is primarily driven by the GPU's rendering load rather than any CPU bottleneck. The pixel count increases by 77.8% from 1080p to 1440p and by 300% from 1080p to 4K, so the frame rate drops are roughly proportional to the pixel count increase, confirming that Downfall is GPU-limited at these resolutions.

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX's role in this scaling is to provide enough CPU throughput to avoid becoming a bottleneck. With 24 cores and 24 threads, base clock of 2.70 GHz, and boost clock of 5.40 GHz, the CPU has substantial headroom. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35,589 and single-core score of 2,204 indicate strong performance, while the PassMark multi-thread score of 55,759 and single-thread score of 4,713 show that the CPU can handle both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads effectively.

The data suggests that at 1080p and 1440p, the RTX 4090 is the primary limiting factor, while at 4K, the GPU's rendering load becomes even more dominant. The CPU's 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth provide sufficient data throughput to keep the GPU fed, but the consistent percentage drops across settings indicate that the GPU's compute and memory resources are the binding constraint.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 144 FPS in Downfall?

A: At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers 184 FPS average with a 156 FPS minimum, which exceeds 144 FPS. At 4K, no settings preset reaches 144 FPS, with the closest being Low at 140 FPS. For 144 FPS gameplay, 1440p Medium is the recommended configuration.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes, but with a modest 59 FPS average. This is technically playable but offers limited headroom for frame rate drops in intense scenes. The High preset at 4K provides 94 FPS, which is a more comfortable experience while still offering high visual quality.

Q: How does the RTX 4090's VRAM capacity affect Downfall performance?

A: The 24 GB of GDDR6X memory ensures that Downfall's textures and assets fit entirely within VRAM at all resolutions and settings. The 1.01 TB/s bandwidth prevents memory bandwidth bottlenecks, as evidenced by the consistent frame rates across different quality presets.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, High averages 150 FPS while Ultra averages 94 FPS, representing a 56 FPS difference. This is the largest settings gap at this resolution, indicating that Ultra imposes significant additional GPU load.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this configuration?

A: The data shows that performance scales consistently with resolution and settings, indicating the GPU is the primary limiting factor. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking and strong benchmark scores demonstrate it has sufficient headroom to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 4090 in Downfall.

Q: What minimum frame rate can be expected at 1080p Medium?

A: The measured minimum at 1080p Medium is 218 FPS, with an average of 257 FPS and maximum of 295 FPS. This minimum is well above typical display refresh rates, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX provides the computational foundation for this configuration, and its specifications indicate it is well-suited to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 4090. The CPU features 24 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This represents a high-core-count mobile processor built on the 3 nm process from TSMC, containing 17,800 million transistors across a 243 mm² die. The Arrow Lake-HX architecture includes 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache.

Benchmark results show the CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are substantial. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35,589 and Geekbench multi-core score of 20,795 reflect strong parallel performance, while the PassMark multi-thread score of 55,759 and data compression score of 608,381 indicate excellent throughput for complex workloads. Single-thread performance is equally impressive, with Cinebench R23 single-core scoring 2,204 and PassMark single-thread scoring 4,713, which is important for games that rely on fewer, faster threads.

In Downfall specifically, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics calculations, and draw call processing while the GPU renders frames. The PassMark physics score of 3,338 and find prime numbers score of 448 provide context for the CPU's arithmetic capabilities, while the floating point math score of 191,186 and integer math score of 155,218 show strong general-purpose compute performance. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking versus all processors, with an average benchmark score of 67,469, places it among the top processors in the database.

The nearest CPU rivals demonstrate the 275HX's competitive positioning. The Intel Xeon w5-3525 scores 67,673 (delta -0.3%), meaning the 275HX is essentially tied with this workstation processor. The AMD EPYC 4484PX scores 67,822 (delta -0.5%), and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX scores 67,868 (delta -0.6%). The Intel Xeon 6515P scores 67,006 (delta 0.7%), meaning the 275HX actually outperforms this processor by 0.7%. These comparisons show that the mobile 275HX competes favorably with desktop workstation CPUs.

The CPU's 24 threads align well with modern game engines that can utilize multiple cores, and the 5.40 GHz boost clock ensures that single-threaded game logic runs at high frequency. The 36 MB of L3 cache helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing memory latency. The dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth provides sufficient data throughput for the CPU's needs, though the GPU's 1.01 TB/s bandwidth is substantially higher, reflecting the different memory demands of each component.

The data from Downfall measurements shows that the CPU does not become a limiting factor at any tested resolution or settings preset. The consistent frame rate scaling across resolutions suggests that the GPU is the bottleneck, and the CPU has sufficient headroom to maintain its performance. The 275HX's combination of high core count, high boost clock, and large cache makes it an appropriate match for the RTX 4090, ensuring that this configuration delivers the high frame rates observed in the measured data.