Downfall

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the Intel Arc B580 delivers a highly capable 1080p and 1440p experience in Downfall, though 4K requires turning down settings for smooth gameplay. Across twelve measured configurations, the combo shows a clear pattern: performance scales predictably with resolution and preset, with the most demanding Ultra preset at 4K being the only configuration that falls well below the 60 FPS threshold. The data indicates this is a solid match for high-refresh 1080p gaming and strong 1440p play, with 4K viable only at Medium settings or lower.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combo in Downfall are consistent across the board, with no min or max FPS data provided, leaving average FPS as the sole metric for analysis. At 1920x1080, the results are exceptional across all presets. The Low preset delivers an average of 181.5 FPS, which is more than triple the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium follows at 151.6 FPS, while High reaches 122.6 FPS. Even the most demanding Ultra preset at 1080p maintains a robust 75.1 FPS average, clearing the threshold by a comfortable margin of 15.1 FPS. This resolution is clearly where the combo thrives, offering headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors even at maximum quality settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance profile remains strong but shows the expected impact of increased pixel count. The Low preset delivers 131.3 FPS, which is still well above the threshold. Medium averages 109.9 FPS, and High comes in at 91 FPS. The Ultra preset, however, drops to 57.4 FPS, which is just 2.6 FPS below the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the first configuration in the data where the combo fails to hit the target, indicating that 1440p Ultra is a borderline case that would require minor settings adjustments for a locked 60 FPS experience.

At 3840x2160, the performance curve steepens considerably. The Low preset averages 79 FPS, which is still playable, while Medium drops to 67.7 FPS, remaining above the threshold. High falls to 55.5 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target, and Ultra plummets to 34.1 FPS, a significant 25.9 FPS deficit. The gap between Medium and High at 4K is 12.2 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is even larger at 21.4 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset at 4K introduces a disproportionately heavy load on the GPU. For 4K users, the data clearly limits playable options to Low and Medium.

The scaling between presets is worth noting. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 106.4 FPS, representing a 58.6% drop. At 1440p, the same comparison shows a 73.9 FPS difference, a 56.3% drop. At 4K, the Low-to-Ultra gap is 44.9 FPS, a 56.8% drop. This consistent percentage drop across resolutions indicates that the Ultra preset hits the GPU's compute and memory subsystems in a uniform way, regardless of resolution, which points to a shader or effect bottleneck rather than a bandwidth limitation.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on aggregate benchmark scores, the Intel Arc B580's nearest rivals are a mixed bag of older and newer hardware. The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP scores 23,061, which is 0.2% higher than the Arc B580's average of 23,021. This is a negligible difference, meaning in synthetic benchmarks these two GPUs are effectively tied. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 scores 22,895, sitting 0.6% lower than the Arc B580, while the RTX 3080 scores 23,172, which is 0.7% higher. The NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23,249, 1% higher. For Downfall, this means the Arc B580 should deliver frame rates very close to what an RTX 2080 or RTX 3080 would produce, though the exact in-game performance may vary due to driver optimizations and architecture-specific behavior.

On the CPU side, the Intel Core i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49,394, which places it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are all within a narrow band. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49,228, just 0.3% lower, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G scores 49,196, 0.4% lower. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48,995, 0.8% lower, and the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 scores 49,796, which is 0.8% higher. In Downfall, where the CPU load is moderate, any of these processors would likely deliver nearly identical frame rates, making the choice between them irrelevant for this specific title. The data suggests that the i5-14600KF provides ample headroom, and the GPU will be the limiting factor in most configurations.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results show a clear shift in bottleneck behavior depending on resolution and settings. At 1080p, the combo delivers 181.5 FPS on Low, which is an extremely high frame rate that suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU well beyond what is necessary for typical displays. However, as settings increase to Ultra, the frame rate drops to 75.1 FPS, a 106.4 FPS reduction. This dramatic drop indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at 1080p Ultra, as the CPU has already demonstrated its ability to produce high frame rates at lower settings.

At 1440p, the pattern intensifies. The Low preset hits 131.3 FPS, which is still high, but the Ultra preset falls to 57.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 73.9 FPS, which is smaller in absolute terms than at 1080p but similar in percentage. This suggests that the GPU is increasingly strained as pixel count rises, while the CPU remains relatively unburdened. The fact that the 1440p Ultra frame rate is lower than the 1080p Ultra frame rate by 17.7 FPS confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

At 4K, the GPU's dominance as the limiting factor becomes absolute. The Low preset only reaches 79 FPS, which is significantly lower than the 1440p Low result of 131.3 FPS. This 52.3 FPS drop from 1440p to 4K at the same settings is a direct consequence of the four-fold increase in pixel count, which the Arc B580's 456.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 13.67 TFLOPS FP32 compute must handle. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 34.1 FPS, which is below half the 60 FPS threshold. Across all resolutions, the data shows that the CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases, with the GPU becoming the sole determinant of playability at 4K.

The Verdict

This PC can run Downfall successfully, but the playable settings vary significantly by resolution. At 1920x1080, the verdict is clear: all four presets are playable, with Ultra being the best setting at 75.1 FPS average. This clears the 60 FPS threshold by 15.1 FPS, providing a smooth experience at maximum quality. The data shows no reason to compromise on settings at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, three of four presets are playable: Low at 131.3 FPS, Medium at 109.9 FPS, and High at 91 FPS. The High preset is the best playable option, delivering 91 FPS average, which is 31 FPS above the threshold. The Ultra preset fails at 57.4 FPS, missing the mark by 2.6 FPS. This is a marginal miss, and users could likely achieve 60 FPS by adjusting a single high-impact setting like shadows or reflections, but as configured, it does not meet the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, only Low and Medium are playable. The Low preset averages 79 FPS, while Medium averages 67.7 FPS. The Medium preset is the best playable option, clearing the threshold by 7.7 FPS. High and Ultra are not playable at 55.5 FPS and 34.1 FPS, respectively. For 4K users, the data recommends sticking to Medium settings for a stable experience, as the jump to High costs 12.2 FPS and pushes the result below 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all tested combinations of CPUs and GPUs in Downfall, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and Intel Arc B580 ranks 2,829 out of 3,716 combos. This places it in the lower half of all tested configurations, which may seem surprising given the strong 1080p results. However, this ranking reflects the entire dataset, which includes many high-end combinations with more powerful GPUs that would dominate at 4K Ultra. The rank of 2,829 is out of a total of 3,716, meaning this combo sits at approximately the 76th percentile of all tested combos. This is consistent with the Arc B580's 68th percentile ranking among all GPUs, suggesting that the GPU's mid-range positioning is the primary contributor to the overall combo rank. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking does not boost the combo further because most games, including Downfall, are GPU-bound at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1920x1080?

A: The Ultra preset is the best playable setting at 1080p, delivering an average of 75.1 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by 15.1 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 1440p Ultra settings?

A: No, the Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 57.4 FPS, which is 2.6 FPS below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset is the best playable option at 91 FPS.

Q: Which settings are playable at 4K?

A: Only Low and Medium are playable at 3840x2160, with averages of 79 FPS and 67.7 FPS respectively. High and Ultra fall below 60 FPS at 55.5 FPS and 34.1 FPS.

Q: How does the Arc B580 compare to the RTX 2080 in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23,021, which is 0.6% higher than the RTX 2080's score of 22,895. This indicates very similar raw performance in synthetic tests.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p Low settings?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 181.5 FPS, which is an extremely high frame rate. This suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU well beyond typical display refresh rates, meaning the GPU is not being fully utilized at this setting.

Q: What is the rank of this combo among all tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 2,829 out of 3,716 tested combinations in Downfall, placing it in the lower half of the dataset, consistent with the GPU's mid-range positioning.