Downfall

How This Combo Ranks

In the measured results for Downfall, the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 lands at rank 90 out of 2928 tested combinations. That places this pairing in the top 3.1% of all tested configs, a strong showing that reflects the high-end nature of both components. The data indicates this combo sits comfortably in the upper echelon, though it is not the absolute fastest possible pairing for this title.

The rank becomes more meaningful when considering the individual component standings. The CPU holds a 96th percentile position against all processors, while the GPU sits at the 88th percentile against all graphics cards. The combo rank of 90 suggests the pairing extracts near-maximum potential from both parts, with neither component dragging the other down meaningfully. In a horror title like Downfall, where frame pacing and consistency matter for atmosphere, this level of headroom is substantial.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus brings 24 cores and 24 threads to the table, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. The processor is built on a 3 nm process from TSMC, with a die size of 243 mm² containing 17,800 million transistors. It uses the Arrow Lake Refresh codename and fits the Intel Socket 1851. With a TDP of 125W, this is a high-power desktop part, and its unlocked multiplier allows for further tuning.

For Downfall, a horror game released in 2016, the CPU's single-thread performance is particularly relevant. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7303 and R20 single-core score of 3067 indicate excellent per-core throughput. The PassMark single-thread score of 4823 reinforces this. The game's engine, being older, likely relies heavily on one or two primary threads for game logic, physics, and AI. The boost clock of 5.80 GHz provides the raw speed needed to keep those threads fed without bottlenecking the GPU.

Multi-threaded performance is equally robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and an R20 multi-core score of 21727. The PassMark multi-thread score of 60860 and integer math score of 166194 show strong parallel throughput. While Downfall may not fully utilize all 24 threads, the headroom ensures background tasks or any moderately threaded game systems won't cause frame drops. The L3 cache of 36 MB shared across cores helps with data locality, and the dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 115.2 GB/s bandwidth provides adequate feeding for the 24 cores.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus edges out the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K by 0.2% in average benchmark score. It also leads the AMD EPYC 4584PX by 1.1% and the AMD EPYC 9135 by 1.2%. The only rival ahead is the AMD EPYC 7F72, which holds a 1.3% lead. These are tight margins, indicating the 290K Plus is well-matched against top-tier server and desktop parts, though the deltaPct values are small enough to be within run-to-run variance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the flagship of the GeForce 40-series, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD102 chip on a 5 nm TSMC process. It packs 76,300 million transistors on a 609 mm² die, with a transistor density of 125.3M per mm². The GPU has 16,384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, along with 128 ray tracing cores and 512 tensor cores. Clock speeds are 2235 MHz base and 2520 MHz boost, while memory runs at 1313 MHz with 21 Gbps effective speed.

The 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus delivers 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. This is a massive amount of VRAM and bandwidth, far beyond what Downfall requires given its 2016 release date. The pixel rate is 443.5 GPixel/s and texture rate is 1,290.2 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance at 82.58 TFLOPS. The card draws 450W and requires an 850W suggested PSU, with a triple-slot cooler and a single 16-pin power connector.

For Downfall, the RTX 4090 is massively overprovisioned. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 38194 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9223 show strong raw performance. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 255416 and Vulkan score of 271631 indicate excellent compute and API utilization. The GPU sits at the 88th percentile against all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 60347 places it in a near tie with the Intel Arc Pro A60 at 0% delta, while the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M trails by 2.5% and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 trails by 2.9%. The only rival ahead is the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48, leading by 0.3%.

The 24 GB VRAM means texture quality and resolution scaling are never constrained by memory in this title. Even at 4K Ultra, the data shows the combo maintains playable frame rates, though the older game engine may not fully exploit the Ada Lovelace architecture's newer features. The high boost clock of 2520 MHz ensures the GPU can push frames quickly at lower resolutions where CPU overhead becomes more dominant.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the combo delivers 132 FPS average on High settings. Dropping to Medium yields 161 FPS average with a minimum of 136 and maximum of 185. Low settings push the average to 196 FPS, while Ultra drops to 82 FPS average. The gap between High and Ultra is substantial—a 50 FPS difference—suggesting Ultra settings introduce effects that heavily tax the GPU.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates scale up notably. High settings produce 212 FPS average, Medium hits 258 FPS with minimum 219 and maximum 297, Low reaches 315 FPS, and Ultra manages 132 FPS. The Ultra setting at 1440p matches the High setting at 4K exactly at 132 FPS, indicating that the resolution and settings trade-off is nearly linear for this configuration.

At 1920x1080, the CPU becomes the limiting factor. High settings yield 296 FPS average, Medium hits 361 FPS with minimum 307 and maximum 416, Low reaches 442 FPS, and Ultra produces 185 FPS. The jump from 1440p to 1080p at Low settings is 127 FPS, but the jump from 4K to 1440p at Low is only 119 FPS, showing diminishing returns at lower resolutions where CPU overhead dominates.

The Medium preset is the only one with min/max data recorded across all resolutions: 136/185 at 4K, 219/297 at 1440p, and 307/416 at 1080p. This suggests Medium offers the most consistent frame pacing, with the minimums staying well above playable thresholds even at 4K. The Ultra preset, by contrast, drops to 82 FPS at 4K, which is still smooth but represents the most demanding configuration.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo overkill for a 2016 horror game?

A: Yes, the data indicates the RTX 4090 sits at the 88th percentile against all GPUs, while Downfall released in 2016. The 24 GB VRAM and 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 performance far exceed what a game from that era requires, though the high frame rates at 4K Ultra (82 FPS) show the game can still stress the GPU when settings are maxed.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus scores 84003 on average benchmarks, just 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K. It leads the AMD EPYC 4584PX by 1.1% and the AMD EPYC 9135 by 1.2%, but trails the AMD EPYC 7F72 by 1.3%.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at for maximum frame rate?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 442 FPS average, the highest recorded. For 4K, Low settings yield 196 FPS, while Medium gives 161 FPS with a minimum of 136, keeping the experience well above 144Hz refresh rates.

Q: Does the Ultra preset perform well at 4K?

A: The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 produces an average of 82 FPS, which is playable but represents the lowest recorded average in the dataset. For comparison, High at 4K delivers 132 FPS, making High the better choice for 4K unless visual fidelity is prioritized over frame rate.

Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have and is it sufficient?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory with 1.01 TB/s bandwidth. This is far more than Downfall needs, as the game's high settings at 4K still manage 132 FPS without any indication of memory constraints in the measured data.

Q: What settings provide the most consistent frame pacing?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum values across all resolutions. At 4K, the minimum is 136 FPS, at 1440p it is 219 FPS, and at 1080p it is 307 FPS. These minimums indicate stable frame delivery without severe drops.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and frame rate consistency. This is the only settings tier with documented minimum and maximum frame times, showing a 136 FPS minimum at 4K and 307 FPS minimum at 1080p. The consistency ensures Downfall's horror atmosphere isn't disrupted by stutter or frame pacing issues, which is critical for a genre that relies on tension.

For 4K displays, High settings at 132 FPS average are the recommended choice over Ultra's 82 FPS. The 50 FPS penalty for Ultra is severe, and the visual improvement from High to Ultra in a 2016 title is unlikely to justify the frame rate loss. Medium at 4K provides 161 FPS average, which is even better if slightly reduced visual fidelity is acceptable.

At 1440p, High at 212 FPS is the sweet spot, though Medium at 258 FPS offers additional headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset at 1440p (132 FPS) mirrors the 4K High result, suggesting that Ultra at lower resolutions is equivalent to High at higher resolutions in terms of GPU load.

At 1080p, even Ultra at 185 FPS is smooth, but Medium at 361 FPS is the best choice for competitive or high-refresh-rate play. The 442 FPS Low setting is excessive for most displays and sacrifices visual quality unnecessarily. Given the CPU's 96th percentile ranking and the GPU's 88th percentile, the data shows this combo can handle any preset above 60 FPS at all tested resolutions, with Medium providing the most reliable experience across the board.