Downfall

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER occupies the 2061st position out of 2928 tested combinations in Downfall. This places the pairing in the 70th percentile of all tested setups, meaning roughly 30% of configurations deliver higher frame rates in this horror title. The ranking reflects a substantial mismatch between the two components: the CPU is a top-tier desktop processor while the GPU is a mid-range card from an older generation.

The CPU's own benchmark standing reinforces this interpretation. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus scores in the 96th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84003. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (avg score 83807, deltaPct 0.2), the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83090, deltaPct 1.1), and the AMD EPYC 9135 (82980, deltaPct 1.2). The only competitor ahead of it among the listed nearest rivals is the AMD EPYC 7F72 with a score of 85072, putting the 290K Plus 1.3% behind that part. This is a processor that sits at the top of the desktop heap, with a single-thread score of 4823 and a multithread score of 60860 on Passmark.

Conversely, the RTX 2060 SUPER lands in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18093. Its nearest rivals are tightly clustered: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (18159, deltaPct -0.4), the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189, deltaPct -0.5), the AMD Radeon RX 460 (18373, deltaPct -1.5), and the Intel Arc A770M (18383, deltaPct -1.6). All four of those cards outperform the 2060 SUPER, but by margins of 2% or less. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 16462 and DirectX 12 score of 61 illustrate its mid-range positioning within the current hardware landscape.

The combination's rank of 2061 out of 2928 suggests that while the CPU can push extremely high frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios, the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows a pairing where the processor has substantial headroom left unused in most gaming workloads. The combination rank is not a measure of component quality in isolation but rather of how the two parts interact in this specific game.

FAQ

Q: How does the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus compare to its closest CPU rival?

A: The 290K Plus scores 84003 on average benchmarks, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (83807). Against the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83090), it leads by 1.1%, and against the AMD EPYC 9135 (82980), by 1.2%. Only the AMD EPYC 7F72 (85072) beats it among listed rivals, doing so by 1.3%.

Q: What GPU benchmark score does the RTX 2060 SUPER achieve, and how does that rank it?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093, placing it in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the RTX 3060 Mobile, scores 18159, which is 0.4% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189) leads by 0.5%, the AMD Radeon RX 460 (18373) by 1.5%, and the Intel Arc A770M (18383) by 1.6%.

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo achieves in Downfall?

A: The highest average frame rate observed is 191 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At the same resolution, Medium settings yield 156 FPS, High settings produce 128 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 80 FPS.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the combo hit 60 FPS or higher on average?

A: At 3840x2160, High settings average 57 FPS, which falls just short of 60. However, Medium settings at 4K average 69 FPS, and Low settings average 85 FPS. At 2560x1440, all settings except Ultra (57 FPS) exceed 60 FPS, with High at 92 FPS, Medium at 112 FPS, and Low at 136 FPS. At 1920x1080, every preset averages above 80 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank overall in Downfall compared to all tested combinations?

A: The combination ranks 2061st out of 2928 tested combos. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the distribution, meaning many other CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher performance in this game.

Q: What is the CPU's boost clock and how many cores does it have?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus features 24 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. This high boost clock contributes to its strong single-threaded performance, evidenced by a Passmark single-thread score of 4823.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the system's performance scales across three resolutions: 1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160. The pattern shows a classic GPU-bound curve, where each step up in resolution imposes a significant load on the graphics card.

At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 191 at 1080p to 136 at 1440p and then to 85 at 4K. That is a 29% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 37% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 106 FPS, or 55%. This steep decline indicates that even at the lowest settings, the RTX 2060 SUPER is the primary constraint as pixel count rises.

At Medium settings, the progression is 156 FPS at 1080p, 112 FPS at 1440p, and 69 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 28% and 38% respectively. At High settings, the numbers are 128 FPS at 1080p, 92 FPS at 1440p, and 57 FPS at 4K, representing drops of 28% and 38%. At Ultra settings, the sequence is 80 FPS at 1080p, 57 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K, with drops of 29% and 37%.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all four settings presets (roughly 28-29% from 1080p to 1440p, and 37-38% from 1440p to 4K) points to a uniform scaling behavior. This uniformity suggests that the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are being taxed in a predictable manner, independent of the visual complexity introduced by different settings. The RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth appears sufficient for the frame buffer demands at 4K, as the scaling does not show an abrupt cliff that would indicate memory capacity overflow.

The data indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any resolution. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, with its 24 cores and 5.80 GHz boost clock, can feed frames to the GPU far faster than the RTX 2060 SUPER can render them, even at 1080p Low where the GPU is pushing 191 FPS. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a plateau in FPS at lower resolutions, but the linear scaling across all settings suggests the GPU remains the limiting component throughout.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest performance. Low settings produce an average of 191 FPS, providing a very fluid experience. Medium settings average 156 FPS, with a minimum of 133 FPS and a maximum of 180 FPS, indicating good frame consistency. High settings average 128 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 80 FPS. All four presets at 1080p exceed the 60 FPS threshold comfortably.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but starts to show the GPU's limitations. Low settings average 136 FPS, Medium settings average 112 FPS with a range of 95 to 128 FPS, and High settings average 92 FPS. Ultra settings at 1440p average 57 FPS, which falls just below the 60 FPS mark. This is the first setting combination where the system cannot maintain a consistent 60 FPS average.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 2060 SUPER struggles more visibly. Low settings average 85 FPS, Medium settings average 69 FPS with a range of 59 to 80 FPS, and High settings average 57 FPS. Ultra settings at 4K produce only 36 FPS on average, which is below the playable threshold for most users. The minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium is 59, indicating that even the average 69 FPS can dip to near-60 in demanding scenes.

The full dataset shows no null values for maximum or minimum FPS except in the Medium settings rows, where the data is available. At 1080p Medium, the range is 133 to 180 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it is 95 to 128 FPS; and at 4K Medium, it is 59 to 80 FPS. These ranges suggest that Medium settings provide the most stable frame pacing relative to their averages, with a spread of about 47 FPS at 1080p, 33 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal preset depends on the target resolution and the user's preference for visual fidelity versus frame rate. The data provides clear guidance for each resolution tier.

At 1920x1080, all settings are playable, but High settings at 128 FPS average offer the best balance. Ultra settings drop to 80 FPS, which is still smooth, but the jump from High to Ultra costs 48 FPS (a 37% reduction) for presumably incremental visual gains. Medium settings at 156 FPS are also viable for competitive play, but High provides a better visual experience while still maintaining triple-digit frame rates.

At 2560x1440, High settings at 92 FPS average is the recommended choice. Ultra drops to 57 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and introduces noticeable stutter in a horror game where smoothness matters for immersion. Medium at 112 FPS offers a higher frame rate but sacrifices some visual detail. The 92 FPS average at High provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while keeping the game looking polished.

At 3840x2160, Medium settings at 69 FPS average is the only preset that clears the 60 FPS bar. High settings at 57 FPS average fall short, and Ultra at 36 FPS is not viable for smooth gameplay. Low at 85 FPS is an option for those prioritizing frame rate over visuals, but Medium offers a better visual experience while still maintaining a playable average. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 59, which means the game may occasionally dip just below 60, but the average of 69 provides enough headroom for most scenes.

For users who prioritize a consistent 60 FPS experience, the safest choice is 1440p High, which averages 92 FPS with no reported minimum below that threshold. At 4K, Medium is the only preset that achieves a 60+ FPS average, making it the de facto choice for 4K displays.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on a 3 nm process node at TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, with 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB of L2 cache per core. Its Passmark scores are impressive: a single-thread score of 4823 and a multithread score of 60860. In Cinebench R23, it scores 51731 in multicore and 7303 in single-core.

In Downfall, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls, physics calculations, and game logic. The measured FPS data shows no evidence of CPU bottlenecking. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 191 FPS on average, which is a high frame rate that would stress many CPUs, yet the 290K Plus handles it without issue. The fact that FPS scales linearly with resolution (as shown in the Resolution Scaling section) confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor at every settings level.

The CPU's high boost clock of 5.80 GHz is particularly relevant for gaming, as many game engines rely heavily on single-threaded performance. The Passmark single-thread score of 4823 places it among the fastest desktop processors for this metric. The 24 cores provide substantial multi-threaded headroom for background tasks and games that scale beyond 8 threads, though Downfall, as a 2016 horror title, is unlikely to utilize all 24 cores fully.

The CPU's 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84003, underscores its position at the top of the desktop processor market. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, is only 0.2% slower, indicating that the 290K Plus is essentially the fastest consumer CPU available. In this pairing, the CPU is vastly overqualified for the GPU, and the data confirms that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the component that determines the system's gaming performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU built on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The card features 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, 64 ROPs, 34 RT cores, and 272 tensor cores. Its base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost clock of 1650 MHz, and it has a TDP of 175 W.

In Downfall, the GPU is the performance bottleneck across all tested resolutions and settings. The measured FPS data shows that even at 1080p Low, where the CPU can push 191 FPS, the GPU is still the limiting factor because the frame rate scales down consistently as resolution increases. The RTX 2060 SUPER's 62nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18093, places it in the mid-range tier of current graphics cards.

The GPU's memory configuration is sufficient for 4K gaming in this title. The 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth handle the frame buffer requirements at 3840x2160 without causing a catastrophic drop in performance. The scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a consistent 37-38% reduction in FPS across all settings, which is typical for a GPU with this memory bandwidth. A memory-constrained card would show a more pronounced drop at 4K due to VRAM capacity limits or bandwidth saturation.

The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 16462 and DirectX 12 score of 61 indicate its DirectX 12 performance is modest, which aligns with the 12 Ultimate (12_2) API support listed in its specifications. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2011 is a more synthetic measure, but the in-game data provides the most relevant insight: at 4K Ultra, the combo averages only 36 FPS, which is below playable standards for a horror game that relies on atmosphere and timing.

The RTX 2060 SUPER's nearest GPU rivals are all within 1.6% of its average benchmark score, indicating that it sits in a tightly contested performance tier. The AMD Radeon RX 460, despite being a lower-tier card in name, actually scores 1.5% higher in average benchmarks, which highlights the competitive nature of this GPU segment. For Downfall specifically, the GPU's performance at 1440p High (92 FPS) and 4K Medium (69 FPS) represents its practical limits, with any higher settings pushing it below the 60 FPS threshold that most users consider the minimum for smooth gameplay.