Downfall

The Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination delivers remarkably smooth performance in Downfall, a 2016 horror title. The measured frame rates show that this pairing is far more capable than the game’s age might suggest, with the GPU becoming the primary scaling factor as resolutions climb. The data reveals a system that handles 1080p and 1440p with ease, while 4K demands a more careful approach to settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which produces an average of 67.9 FPS. This is a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS playable threshold, though it leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. Pushing to Ultra at this resolution drops the average to 42.9 FPS, which falls well short of the playable mark. The Medium preset at 79.5 FPS and Low at 102 FPS both clear the threshold with more breathing room, but High represents the best balance of visual quality and performance.

At 2560x1440, the system can run Ultra settings while maintaining an average of 70.7 FPS. This is the highest preset available, and it stays above the 60 FPS threshold by a solid margin. The High preset reaches 107.9 FPS, Medium hits 132.5 FPS, and Low peaks at 159.4 FPS. All four presets are playable at this resolution, meaning users can max out the game without compromise.

At 1920x1080, the story is even more favorable. Ultra settings deliver an average of 95.3 FPS, comfortably above the playable threshold. The High preset produces 151.3 FPS, Medium reaches 183.1 FPS, and Low skyrockets to 228 FPS. Every preset at 1080p is not only playable but offers substantial performance overhead, suggesting this resolution is almost trivial for the hardware.

The scaling pattern is telling: the gap between Ultra and High widens dramatically at higher resolutions. At 1080p, Ultra is 36% slower than High (95.3 vs 151.3 FPS). At 1440p, that gap narrows to 35% (70.7 vs 107.9 FPS). At 4K, Ultra falls 37% behind High (42.9 vs 67.9 FPS). This consistent drop indicates the Ultra preset carries a heavy rendering cost that the RTX 4060 cannot sustain at 4K.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU across resolutions. The i5-14400F, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, appears more than sufficient for Downfall's demands. The GPU, however, becomes the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

Looking at the scaling from 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS across all presets drops by roughly 29%. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is even steeper, averaging about 37% across presets. This progressive degradation points to the GPU being the primary constraint at higher resolutions, as the CPU workload for a horror title like Downfall is unlikely to scale as dramatically with resolution.

The CPU's role is more evident at lower resolutions and lower presets. At 1080p Low, the system hits 228 FPS, which is likely approaching the CPU's frame delivery ceiling. The i5-14400F's benchmark scores — including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and a single-core score of 3055 — suggest it has ample processing power to feed the GPU at these frame rates. The PassMark multithread score of 25470 further confirms strong multi-threaded performance.

At 4K, the GPU's limitations become stark. The RTX 4060's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely strained by the higher resolution textures and effects. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 19545 and its 61st percentile ranking among all GPUs indicate it is a mid-range part, and 4K Ultra simply exceeds its capabilities for this game.

The frame rate scaling between presets reinforces this interpretation. At 1080p, going from Low to Ultra cuts performance by 58% (228 to 95.3 FPS). At 4K, the same preset jump cuts performance by 58% as well (102 to 42.9 FPS). This consistent percentage drop across resolutions suggests the preset overhead is GPU-bound rather than CPU-bound, as the CPU would likely scale more uniformly regardless of resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the i5-14400F and RTX 4060 ranks 2032 out of 3716 tested combos for Downfall. This places it in the 55th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms a slight majority of other hardware combinations in this game.

The ranking is somewhat surprising given the high frame rates measured. The i5-14400F itself ranks in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs in general benchmarks, while the RTX 4060 sits in the 61st percentile among GPUs. The combination's in-game rank of 55th percentile suggests that other factors, such as memory configuration or motherboard choice, might influence overall performance in Downfall.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 32279 places it just 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U and 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i9-11900 in general compute tasks. The GPU's average score of 17639 is within 0.3% of the AMD Radeon 780M and 0.5% of the AMD Radeon Pro 560. These tight margins suggest the combo's rank could shift slightly with different driver versions or system configurations.

The rank of 2032 out of 3716 combos also indicates that while this system performs well in absolute terms, many other combinations — likely those with more powerful GPUs — achieve higher frame rates. The 4K Ultra result of 42.9 FPS is likely what drags the overall rank down, as combos with stronger GPUs would handle that preset more gracefully.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals paint a picture of a processor that sits in a crowded performance band. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U scores 32233, just 0.1% lower than the i5-14400F's 32279 average. The Intel Core i9-11900 scores 32226, a 0.2% gap. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS actually scores 32354, which is 0.2% higher than the i5-14400F. The Intel Core i7-12800H trails at 32121, a 0.5% deficit.

For Downfall, any of these CPUs would likely produce nearly identical frame rates, since the game does not appear to be CPU-bound at the resolutions tested. The differences of less than 1% in synthetic benchmarks would translate to imperceptible frame rate differences in actual gameplay.

The GPU's nearest rivals are more varied in capability. The AMD Radeon HD 7790 scores 17666, just 0.2% above the RTX 4060's 17639. The AMD Radeon 780M scores 17588, a 0.3% gap. The AMD Radeon Pro 560 scores 17551, 0.5% lower, and the AMD Radeon Pro 460 scores 17509, 0.7% lower.

These GPU alternatives would behave similarly in Downfall, though the RTX 4060's modern architecture and 8 GB VRAM might offer better driver optimization or feature support. The HD 7790, being an older part, might struggle with newer API requirements despite similar raw scores. The Radeon 780M is an integrated GPU, which would likely suffer from shared memory bandwidth in practice.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings is playable. Low settings yield 228 FPS average, Medium produces 183.1 FPS, High reaches 151.3 FPS, and Ultra still maintains 95.3 FPS. The progression shows that even the heaviest preset leaves the system with nearly 60% of its Low-settings performance intact.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong across all presets. Low settings hit 159.4 FPS, Medium delivers 132.5 FPS, High achieves 107.9 FPS, and Ultra stays at 70.7 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 30% across all presets, which is consistent with the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes. Low settings still manage 102 FPS, Medium reaches 79.5 FPS, and High holds at 67.9 FPS. However, Ultra drops to 42.9 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. The gap between High and Ultra at 4K is 37%, indicating the Ultra preset's additional effects are disproportionately expensive at this resolution.

The lack of min and max FPS data means the analysis relies solely on averages. This is a limitation, as frame time consistency can matter more than raw averages in a horror game where sudden spikes in action could cause stutter. The average FPS figures suggest smooth performance, but without minimum frame rate data, it is impossible to confirm there are no brief drops below 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Downfall at 4K with maximum settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 42.9, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best playable setting at 4K is High, which achieves 67.9 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution and setting combination for this hardware?

A: At 2560x1440, Ultra settings produce 70.7 FPS, which is above the playable threshold. At 1920x1080, Ultra settings achieve 95.3 FPS. The 1440p Ultra combination offers the highest visual quality while maintaining playable performance.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combination ranks 2032 out of 3716 tested combos for Downfall, placing it in the 55th percentile of all tested systems.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops consistently from 1080p to 1440p to 4K, while the CPU's high benchmark scores (Cinebench R23 multi-core of 21645) suggest it is not the bottleneck.

Q: What settings should be used at 4K?

A: The High preset at 67.9 FPS is the best playable option. Medium at 79.5 FPS and Low at 102 FPS also work, but High offers the best visual quality while staying above 60 FPS.

Q: Are there any playable settings that fall below 60 FPS?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160, Ultra settings produce 42.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. All other resolution and preset combinations tested stay above 60 FPS.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 can absolutely run Downfall. The system clears the 60 FPS playable threshold at every resolution with at least one preset. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with Ultra achieving 95.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets also clear 60 FPS, with Ultra at 70.7 FPS. At 3840x2160, the High preset is the best playable option at 67.9 FPS, while Low and Medium also stay above the threshold.

The verdict by resolution is clear: 1080p and 1440p can run at Ultra settings, while 4K requires dropping to High. The system's 2032 rank out of 3716 combos suggests it is a solid mid-pack performer for this title, though not a top-tier configuration. The RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for most settings, but the 4K Ultra preset exposes its limits. For a horror game released in 2016, this hardware provides far more than adequate performance, with the only real compromise being 4K Ultra.