Downfall

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 sits at rank 776 out of 2,928 tested combos in Downfall. That places this configuration in the top 26.5% of all tested systems, a solid position for a horror title that tends to favor GPU throughput but also rewards strong CPU headroom.

Looking at the processor alone, the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus holds a 96th percentile ranking against all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 84,003. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, scores 83,807, putting the 290K Plus just 0.2% ahead. The AMD EPYC 4584PX trails by 1.1% at 83,090, and the AMD EPYC 9135 is 1.2% behind at 82,980. The only rival that beats it in the nearest group is the AMD EPYC 7F72, which scores 85,072 and leads by 1.3%. These are narrow margins, indicating that the 290K Plus is firmly in the top tier of desktop processors, though not dramatically ahead of its closest competitors.

The GPU, however, tells a different story. The RTX 3080 ranks at the 68th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23,172. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA P106-100 at 23,249 (0.3% higher), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 at 23,250 (0.3% higher), and the AMD Radeon RX 6600M at 23,273 (0.4% higher). The AMD Radeon R9 M290X also sits close at 23,276, 0.4% above. This clustering shows the RTX 3080 is competitive with a broad mid-range pack, but it is not a standout performer by aggregate GPU metrics alone.

The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-to-upper-tier GPU creates an interesting dynamic in Downfall. The combo's ranking suggests the overall system is greater than the sum of its parts, likely because the 290K Plus provides enough processing power to keep the RTX 3080 fed at most settings. The rank of 776 out of 2,928 combos indicates this is a viable pairing for 1440p and even 4K play, though the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions and quality presets.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 brings 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, delivering 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 1,188 MHz, translating to 19 Gbps effective. The GPU's base clock is 1,440 MHz, with a boost clock of 1,710 MHz. The GA102 chip, built on Samsung's 8 nm process, packs 28,300 million transistors across a 628 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 45.1M per mm².

In Downfall, the VRAM capacity and bandwidth play a significant role at higher settings. The game's horror aesthetic often relies on high-resolution textures and complex lighting, which can pressure VRAM. With 10 GB available, the RTX 3080 has enough memory for 1080p and 1440p Ultra settings, but at 4K Ultra, the combination of texture detail and post-processing effects may approach the limit. The measured FPS data supports this: at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 56 FPS, a steep decline from the 89 FPS at 4K High.

The RTX 3080's compute capabilities include 8,704 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, 96 ROPs, 68 RT cores, and 272 tensor cores. The FP32 throughput is 29.77 TFLOPS, with FP16 matching at 29.77 TFLOPS (1:1). Pixel rate is 164.2 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 465.1 GTexel/s. These specifications support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. In a game like Downfall, which likely uses modern rendering paths, the RT and tensor cores could be leveraged for effects, though the measured FPS suggests the standard rasterization pipeline is the primary workload.

The GPU's power draw is rated at 320 W, with a suggested PSU of 700 W. It uses a single 12-pin power connector and occupies a dual-slot form factor. The card measures 285 mm in length, 112 mm in height, and 40 mm in width. This is a substantial card that requires adequate case clearance and cooling, but the data shows it delivers consistent frame rates across most settings in Downfall.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 299 FPS average, which drops to 214 FPS at 1440p Low and 133 FPS at 4K Low. This represents a 55.5% drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings. At High settings, the scaling is similar: 201 FPS at 1080p, 143 FPS at 1440p, and 89 FPS at 4K, a 55.7% reduction. Medium settings show 245 FPS at 1080p, 175 FPS at 1440p, and 109 FPS at 4K, a 55.5% drop. Ultra settings follow the same pattern with 125 FPS at 1080p, 90 FPS at 1440p, and 56 FPS at 4K, a 55.2% decline.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings is telling. When the frame rate scales down by roughly 55% from 1080p to 4K regardless of quality preset, it indicates the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The pixel count increases by a factor of four from 1080p to 4K, and while the FPS does not drop by exactly 75%, the significant reduction points to GPU-bound behavior at 4K.

At 1080p, the system reaches very high frame rates, with 299 FPS at Low and 245 FPS at Medium. These numbers suggest the CPU can push the GPU to its limits at lower resolutions, and the 290K Plus's strong single-thread performance (7,303 in Cinebench R23 single-core) helps maintain high minimum frame rates. The Medium preset at 1080p shows a minimum of 208 FPS and a maximum of 282 FPS, indicating consistent frame pacing.

As resolution increases, the gap between settings narrows in absolute terms. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 174 FPS (299 vs. 125). At 1440p, that gap shrinks to 124 FPS (214 vs. 90). At 4K, the gap is 77 FPS (133 vs. 56). This compression at higher resolutions is a classic sign of GPU limitation, where the graphics card's fill rate and memory bandwidth become the deciding factors.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 299 FPS. Medium settings yield 245 FPS, with a minimum of 208 FPS and a maximum of 282 FPS. High settings come in at 201 FPS average. Ultra settings drop to 125 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, even Ultra settings remain highly playable, and the CPU's strength allows the GPU to operate near its maximum potential.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but show the GPU starting to work harder. Low settings average 214 FPS. Medium settings produce 175 FPS, with a minimum of 149 FPS and a maximum of 201 FPS. High settings deliver 143 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 90 FPS. The 1440p results indicate this pairing is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors at Medium or High settings, with Ultra still playable above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings average 133 FPS, which remains smooth. Medium settings produce 109 FPS, with a minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 125 FPS. High settings deliver 89 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 56 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold many players target. The 4K Ultra result is the only setting where the system falls short of a consistent 60 FPS experience, and the lack of a reported minimum FPS for most 4K presets suggests the frame pacing may vary.

The Medium preset at each resolution provides the most complete data, with both minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the range from 208 to 282 FPS shows a 74 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range is 149 to 201 FPS, a 52 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range is 92 to 125 FPS, a 33 FPS spread. The narrowing spread at higher resolutions further confirms GPU-bound behavior, as the frame time variance decreases when the GPU is the limiting factor.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus a good match for the RTX 3080 in Downfall?

A: Yes. The combo ranks 776 out of 2,928 tested combos in Downfall, placing it in the top 26.5% of systems. The CPU's 96th percentile ranking among all processors ensures it does not bottleneck the GPU at most settings, though the GPU becomes the limiting factor at 4K Ultra.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 90 FPS at 2560x1440 with Ultra settings. This is above the 60 FPS threshold and should provide a smooth experience for most players, though it is the lowest result among 1440p presets.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3080 averages 23,172 in benchmark scores, placing it at the 68th percentile. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA P106-100, scores 23,249, which is 0.3% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 and AMD Radeon RX 6600M are also 0.3% and 0.4% higher, respectively, while the AMD Radeon R9 M290X leads by 0.4%.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Downfall?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K High settings, the average FPS is 89, which is smooth. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 56 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. Players who want Ultra settings at 4K may need to reduce some options or accept slightly lower frame rates.

Q: What is the CPU's performance relative to its closest rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus averages 84,003 in benchmark scores. It is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (83,807), 1.1% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83,090), and 1.2% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9135 (82,980). The AMD EPYC 7F72 leads it by 1.3% with a score of 85,072.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 3080 have, and does it matter for Downfall?

A: The RTX 3080 has 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus with 760.3 GB/s bandwidth. For Downfall, this is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p at all settings, and even 4K High works well. The 4K Ultra preset may approach the VRAM limit, contributing to the lower 56 FPS average.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, built on TSMC's 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. The CPU includes 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s, and it has 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes.

In Downfall, the CPU's role is primarily to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions and to ensure consistent minimum FPS. The measured data shows that at 1080p, the system reaches 299 FPS at Low settings, which requires strong single-thread performance. The 290K Plus scores 7,303 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 3,067 in Cinebench R20 single-core, indicating excellent per-thread performance. The Passmark single-thread score of 4,823 further confirms this strength.

The processor's multi-threaded capabilities are also substantial, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51,731 and a Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 21,727. Passmark multi-thread performance is 60,860, with floating-point math at 214,760 and integer math at 166,194. These scores suggest the CPU can handle any background tasks or streaming workloads while gaming, though Downfall itself is unlikely to use all 24 threads.

The CPU's 125 W TDP is relatively modest for a 24-core part, and its 3 nm process node from TSMC contributes to efficiency. The integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU is present but not relevant for discrete GPU gaming. The processor supports ECC memory, which is unusual for a desktop part and may appeal to users running stability-critical workloads.

In the context of Downfall, the 290K Plus's high boost clock of 5.80 GHz helps maintain high average FPS at 1080p, where the GPU is not the limiting factor. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 299 FPS, which is close to the GPU's maximum output. The CPU's ability to feed the RTX 3080 at these frame rates is evident, and the 0.2% lead over the Core Ultra 9 285K in aggregate benchmarks supports its position as a top-tier gaming processor.

At 4K, the CPU's influence diminishes, as the GPU becomes the bottleneck. However, the 290K Plus still ensures that frame drops are minimized, as seen in the 4K Medium preset, which reports a minimum of 92 FPS against an average of 109 FPS. This consistency suggests the CPU is not causing stutters or hitches even at higher resolutions, allowing the RTX 3080 to deliver its best possible performance.