Downfall

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 1057th out of 3716 tested combos for Downfall, placing it in the upper third of all possible configurations. This is a strong position, suggesting the pairing has enough headroom for the game’s demands, though it is not at the very top tier where the absolute highest frame rates would be found. The combo’s performance is measured, not estimated, which makes the subsequent FPS data a reliable basis for judging how the hardware handles this horror title. The 90th percentile ranking of the CPU and the 68th percentile ranking of the GPU among all their respective peers further context that this is a capable, mid-to-high-end setup, but the game’s engine will still test both components differently depending on resolution and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The rank of 1057 out of 3716 combos means this system beats roughly 71% of all tested configurations in Downfall. That is a solid result for a horror game, which often relies on atmospheric effects and lighting that can strain a GPU. The data indicates the combo is not a fringe outlier; it sits comfortably within the competitive midsection of high-performance builds. The CPU’s 90th percentile rank among all CPUs and the GPU’s 68th percentile rank among all GPUs suggest that the processor is relatively stronger than the graphics card in isolation. This imbalance hints that the RTX 3080 might be the limiting factor in more demanding scenarios, a point that becomes clearer when examining FPS scaling across resolutions. For a game released in 2016, this modern hardware combination is overkill in most situations, but the Ultra preset at 4K still challenges it, showing that even older titles can push current components when settings are maxed out.

CPU and GPU Roles

Benchmark results reveal a clear pattern: the GPU dominates performance scaling as resolution increases, while the CPU’s role becomes more pronounced at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, the average FPS jumps from 201 on High to 299 on Low, a 49% increase that reflects the GPU being less burdened by pixel fill, allowing the CPU to feed frames more freely. The CPU’s strong single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2064, ensures it can keep up with the game’s logic at these high frame rates. Moving to 2560x1440, the scaling tightens: High drops to 143 FPS and Low to 214 FPS, a 50% difference, but the absolute numbers are lower because the GPU is now working harder on pixel throughput. At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, with High at 89 FPS and Low at 133 FPS, a 49% gap, but the overall performance is far lower than at 1080p, indicating that the RTX 3080’s 760.3 GB/s memory bandwidth and 29.77 TFLOPS compute are being saturated. The CPU’s 14 cores and 20 threads are rarely stressed in this game, as Downfall likely uses fewer threads, meaning the i5-14600K’s multicore might of 24491 in Cinebench R23 is not fully utilized. The data suggests that at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU can drive the GPU to its limits, but at 4K, the GPU’s raw power dictates the final frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all presets. Low averages 299 FPS, Medium averages 245 FPS with a minimum of 208 and a maximum of 282, High averages 201 FPS, and Ultra averages 125 FPS. These figures show that even the most demanding preset at 1080p stays well above the 60 FPS playable threshold, with Ultra nearly doubling that threshold. The minimum FPS recorded at Medium (208) is still far higher than the playable threshold, indicating stable frame pacing. At 2560x1440, performance remains high but scales down as expected. Low averages 214 FPS, Medium averages 175 FPS with a minimum of 149 and a maximum of 201, High averages 143 FPS, and Ultra averages 90 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is the first point where the combo drops below 100 FPS, but 90 FPS is still very smooth for a horror game that may benefit from higher frame rates for responsive gameplay. At 3840x2160, the GPU’s limits become evident. Low averages 133 FPS, Medium averages 109 FPS with a minimum of 92 and a maximum of 125, High averages 89 FPS, and Ultra averages 56 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, with an average of 56 FPS, which is a notable dip. The lack of min/max data for some presets suggests that the testing methodology only captured those values for Medium settings, but the available numbers for Medium show tight ranges, like a 92 to 125 FPS spread at 4K, indicating consistent performance without major stutters.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU’s nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H with a score of 48698 and a delta of -0.2%, the AMD EPYC 4345P with a score of 48470 and a delta of 0.3%, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX with a score of 48287 and a delta of 0.7%, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 with a score of 48995 and a delta of -0.8%. These deltas are tiny, meaning any of these processors would perform nearly identically in Downfall, as the game is unlikely to be CPU-bound at most settings. The GPU’s nearest rivals are the NVIDIA P106-100 with a score of 23249 and a delta of -0.3%, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 with a score of 23250 and a delta of -0.3%, the AMD Radeon RX 6600M with a score of 23273 and a delta of -0.4%, and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X with a score of 23276 and a delta of -0.4%. These GPUs are all within 0.4% of the RTX 3080’s average score, which is surprising given the RTX 3080’s higher-end positioning, but the benchmark scores suggest that in general compute tasks, these alternatives would produce similar frame rates. However, in Downfall specifically, the RTX 3080’s 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 68 RT cores may offer advantages in certain effects, but the measured FPS data shows that the game is not particularly demanding at lower settings, so any of these rivals would likely hit similar marks at 1080p and 1440p.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 125 FPS. This is the clear choice for maximum visual quality, as the combo has massive headroom. At 2560x1440, the best setting is also Ultra, averaging 90 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and offers a great balance between fidelity and smoothness. At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains 60 FPS is High, with an average of 89 FPS. Medium also qualifies at 109 FPS, but High is the better pick since it offers higher visual quality while still exceeding the playable threshold. Ultra at 4K falls to 56 FPS, so it should be avoided unless the user is willing to accept sub-60 FPS performance. The data shows that this combo can handle high settings at 4K, but not the absolute maximum, making it a strong 1440p and a capable 4K system.

The Verdict

This PC can run Downfall effectively at all three tested resolutions, but with varying degrees of visual fidelity. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable, with Ultra delivering 125 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, all presets are also playable, with Ultra at 90 FPS being the best option. At 3840x2160, the High preset is the best playable setting at 89 FPS, while Low and Medium also qualify, but Ultra does not, averaging 56 FPS. The verdict is clear: for a game released in 2016, this hardware is overqualified for 1080p and 1440p gaming, and it only struggles at the very highest 4K preset. The RTX 3080’s 10 GB memory is sufficient for the game’s textures, and the i5-14600K’s strong single-core performance ensures no CPU bottlenecks at lower resolutions. The only compromise is at 4K Ultra, where the user must choose between maximum fidelity and a slightly sub-60 FPS experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Downfall?

A: 2560x1440 is the sweet spot, as the Ultra preset runs at 90 FPS, providing high visual quality with a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: Yes, but only up to High settings, which average 89 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 56 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-14600K’s average benchmark score is 48618, which is within 0.8% of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (48995) and within 0.7% of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX (48287), meaning they perform nearly identically.

Q: Is the GPU a bottleneck in this game?

A: At 3840x2160, yes, as the FPS drops significantly across all presets compared to lower resolutions. At 1080p and 1440p, the GPU is still the primary driver, but the CPU has enough power to keep up.

Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS is 56 at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 92 at 3840x2160 with Medium settings.

Q: Are there any settings where this combo fails to reach 60 FPS?

A: Only one: 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which averages 56 FPS. All other tested resolutions and presets exceed the 60 FPS threshold.