Downfall

How This Combo Ranks

The database places the Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 at rank 3371 out of 3716 tested combinations for Downfall. This puts the combo in the lower percentile of all systems tested, which is not surprising given the age of the graphics card relative to the CPU. The CPU itself sits at the 85th percentile among all processors, while the GPU only reaches the 53rd percentile among all graphics cards. This imbalance suggests the pairing is heavily weighted by CPU capability, yet the game's performance ceiling is dictated by the GPU's limits.

Looking at the recorded data, the combo ranks poorly because the RX 580 struggles at higher resolutions and presets. At 1080p, the system manages to clear the 60 FPS threshold on several settings, but at 1440p only the Low preset stays above that line. At 4K, no preset reaches playable frame rates. The rank reflects this overall weakness: it is a combination that works for lighter loads but fails to deliver consistent high-refresh experiences at demanding settings.

What stands out is that the CPU is far more powerful than the GPU needs for this game. The i7-12700KF has 12 cores and 20 threads, with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, and its single-thread performance scores (4071 in Cinebench R23 single-core) are strong. Yet the RX 580, with its 2304 shading units and 8 GB of GDDR5 memory, becomes the limiting factor in every resolution above 1080p. The rank of 3371 out of 3716 indicates that most other combinations in the database perform better, which aligns with the GPU's below-average standing.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU in Downfall. At 1920x1080, the GPU has enough headroom to deliver solid frame rates across Low, Medium, and High presets: 105.2, 86.9, and 71.4 FPS respectively. The CPU's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its 1043 score in 3dmark single-thread and 3984 in passmark single-thread, likely prevents any bottleneck at this resolution. The game is not CPU-intensive at 1080p, as the frame rates scale predictably with graphics settings rather than showing CPU-related stalls.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU begins to show strain. The Low preset still hits 73.7 FPS, but Medium drops to 58.3 FPS, and High falls to 48.4 FPS. This scaling indicates that the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth (256.0 GB/s) are becoming the primary constraint. The CPU's role diminishes further, as the frame rate differences between presets are purely GPU-driven. The i7-12700KF has ample headroom, with its multithread score of 28838 in Cinebench R23, but this game does not exploit that capability at higher resolutions.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmed. The Low preset yields 47.7 FPS, Medium drops to 36.3, High to 28.3, and Ultra to 22.1. These numbers show that the RX 580's 256-bit memory bus and 42.88 GPixel/s pixel rate cannot keep up with 4K rendering demands. The CPU's contribution is negligible here, as the bottleneck is entirely graphical. The database indicates that the CPU's 3dmark max threads score of 9983 and passmark multithread score of 34092 would be sufficient for any modern game, but the RX 580's 6.175 TFLOPS FP32 performance is simply not enough for 4K gaming.

The scaling between resolutions and presets confirms that Downfall is GPU-bound at every resolution above 1080p. The CPU's percentile rank of 85 versus the GPU's 53 percentile highlights this mismatch. For players seeking higher frame rates, upgrading the GPU would yield far more benefit than changing the processor.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which records an average of 71.4 FPS. This is the recommended setting for full HD, as it provides a comfortable margin above the playable threshold while offering better visual quality than Medium (86.9 FPS) or Low (105.2 FPS). Ultra falls short at 40.8 FPS, so it is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the only preset that clears 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 73.7 FPS. Medium comes close at 58.3 FPS but misses the threshold, and High drops to 48.4 FPS. The verdict data confirms that Low is the best playable setting at this resolution, sacrificing visual fidelity for acceptable performance.

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The closest is Low at 47.7 FPS, followed by Medium at 36.3, High at 28.3, and Ultra at 22.1. The database marks 4K as having no playable settings, meaning players would need to accept sub-60 FPS performance or lower the resolution entirely.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Core i7-13700T, which scores 35403 in average benchmarks, just 0.1% higher than the i7-12700KF's 35365 average. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, a 0.2% difference, while the Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428, also 0.2% away. The Intel Core i7-12700K scores 35287, a 0.2% difference. These alternatives would behave nearly identically in Downfall, meaning the frame rates recorded for the i7-12700KF would hold for any of these CPUs. The performance deltas are all within 0.2%, so the GPU remains the deciding factor.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, which scores 12940 in average benchmarks, 0.1% higher than the RX 580's 12928. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER scores 12986, 0.4% higher, while the AMD Radeon 740M scores 12870, 0.5% lower, and the AMD FirePro W5100 scores 12847, 0.6% lower. All four alternatives would produce nearly identical frame rates in Downfall. The GTX 1660 SUPER is the closest desktop equivalent, and its performance would track within 0.4% of the RX 580. Players with any of these GPUs should expect the same playability profile: 1080p High at 71.4 FPS, 1440p Low at 73.7 FPS, and no playable 4K settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the recorded averages are as follows: Low runs at 105.2 FPS, Medium at 86.9 FPS, High at 71.4 FPS, and Ultra at 40.8 FPS. The jump from Ultra to High is substantial, a 30.6 FPS difference, indicating that Ultra settings introduce a heavy rendering load that the RX 580 cannot handle. The minimum and maximum FPS values are not recorded in the database, so only average frame rates are available for analysis.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 73.7 FPS for Low, 58.3 FPS for Medium, 48.4 FPS for High, and 31.2 FPS for Ultra. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at the same preset is notable: High goes from 71.4 to 48.4 FPS, a 23 FPS loss, while Low goes from 105.2 to 73.7, a 31.5 FPS loss. This confirms that the GPU's memory bandwidth and pixel rate are insufficient for higher pixel counts.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 47.7 FPS for Low, 36.3 FPS for Medium, 28.3 FPS for High, and 22.1 FPS for Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra is 25.6 FPS, and even the lowest settings fail to reach 60 FPS. The database records no minimum or maximum values for any resolution, so the analysis relies solely on average performance.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and AMD Radeon RX 580 can run Downfall, but only under specific conditions. At 1920x1080, the system clears 60 FPS on Low, Medium, and High presets, with the best playable setting being High at 71.4 FPS. Ultra is not playable at 40.8 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low reaches playable frame rates at 73.7 FPS; Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below the 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, no preset is playable, with the highest average being 47.7 FPS on Low.

The verdict by resolution confirms these findings: 1080p supports High, Low, and Medium, 1440p supports only Low, and 4K supports nothing. Players with this combo should target 1080p for the best balance of visual quality and performance, or drop to Low at 1440p if they prefer higher resolutions. The CPU has ample power for this game, but the GPU is the limiting factor at every resolution above 1080p.

The data suggests that this pairing is acceptable for older or less demanding titles, but for Downfall, it requires compromise. The RX 580's 8 GB of VRAM and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for 1080p gaming, but the 14 nm Polaris architecture shows its age at higher resolutions. The i7-12700KF is a future-proof choice, but it is wasted on this GPU for this particular game.

FAQ

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at 2560x1440?

A: Only with the Low preset, which records an average of 73.7 FPS. Medium drops to 58.3 FPS, just below the threshold, and High falls to 48.4 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset for 1920x1080?

A: The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of 71.4 FPS. Ultra is not playable at 40.8 FPS.

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

A: The GPU is the dominant factor at resolutions above 1080p. The CPU ranks at the 85th percentile among processors, while the GPU ranks at the 53rd percentile among graphics cards, and the frame rate scaling between presets confirms the GPU bottleneck.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to the GTX 1660 SUPER?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER scores 12986 in average benchmarks, 0.4% higher than the RX 580's 12928. Their performance in Downfall would be nearly identical, within 0.4%.

Q: What frame rate does the system achieve at 4K with Low settings?

A: The average is 47.7 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. No 4K preset is playable according to the database.

Q: Are there any playable settings at 3840x2160?

A: No. The verdict data lists no playable settings at 4K, with the highest average being 47.7 FPS on Low and the lowest being 22.1 FPS on Ultra.