Downfall

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents an unusual combination in the database: a high-end desktop processor from the Raptor Lake generation alongside an integrated-class graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture. The recorded measurements for Downfall, a horror title from 2016, show that this pairing is heavily constrained by the graphics side, with the CPU’s substantial multi-threaded capabilities having little influence on the final frame rates. Across all tested configurations, the average FPS never reaches the 60 FPS playable threshold except at lower resolutions and preset levels, and the data clearly separates what the processor can do from what the graphics solution delivers.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the data shows a steep performance cliff. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 18 FPS, which is the lowest recorded value for this combination. High settings improve the average to 29 FPS, but this remains far below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium settings yield an average of 35 FPS, with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 40 FPS, indicating some frame time variance. Low settings provide the best result at 4K, reaching an average of 43 FPS. However, none of these configurations approach playable levels, and the gap between Low and Ultra is substantial, with the Ultra preset producing less than half the average FPS of the Low preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, the situation improves but remains constrained. The Low preset achieves an average of 68 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold, making it the only playable setting at this resolution according to the verdict data. Medium settings average 56 FPS, with a minimum of 48 FPS and a maximum of 64 FPS, meaning the average falls just short of playable, though individual frames may occasionally cross the threshold. High settings average 46 FPS, and Ultra drops to 29 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a reduction of roughly 57% in average FPS, indicating that the graphics solution struggles with the increased shading and texture demands at higher presets.

At 1920x1080, the most favorable resolution, the results are mixed but more encouraging. Low settings produce an average of 96 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure for this combo. Medium settings average 78 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 90 FPS, comfortably above the playable threshold. High settings average 64 FPS, which exactly matches the playable threshold and is listed as the best playable setting for 1080p. Ultra settings fall to 40 FPS, again showing a significant drop from High. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 96, 78, 64, and 40 FPS, respectively, demonstrating that the Ultra preset demands far more from the graphics hardware than the lower tiers.

The min and max FPS data is only recorded for Medium settings at each resolution. At 4K Medium, the range is 30 to 40 FPS, a narrow band. At 1440p Medium, the range is 48 to 64 FPS, showing wider variance. At 1080p Medium, the range is 67 to 90 FPS, which is the widest spread recorded. This suggests that Medium presets introduce some frame pacing inconsistency, but the averages remain the primary indicator of overall performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination achieves in Downfall?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 96, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. The next highest is 78 FPS at 1080p Medium, followed by 68 FPS at 1440p Low and 64 FPS at 1080p High.

Q: Is this PC capable of running Downfall at 4K resolution?

A: No. At 3840x2160, none of the tested presets reach the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best result is 43 FPS on Low settings, while Ultra drops to 18 FPS. The verdict data confirms that 4K has no playable settings for this combination.

Q: Which preset at 1440p stays at or above 60 FPS?

A: Only the Low preset at 2560x1440 achieves an average of 68 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 56 FPS, High averages 46 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS, all falling short.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to the Low preset at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 40 FPS, while the Low preset averages 96 FPS. This represents a 58% reduction in average FPS when moving from Low to Ultra, indicating a heavy performance cost for the higher visual fidelity settings.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1080p according to the recorded data?

A: The best playable setting at 1920x1080 is High, which averages 64 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above the 60 FPS playable threshold at that resolution. Medium (78 FPS) and Low (96 FPS) are also playable, but High offers the highest visual quality among the playable options.

Q: Does the frame rate vary significantly within the Medium preset?

A: The recorded min and max FPS values for Medium presets show variance at all resolutions. At 4K, the range is 30 to 40 FPS. At 1440p, the range is 48 to 64 FPS. At 1080p, the range is 67 to 90 FPS. The spread widens as resolution decreases, but the minimums remain above the averages of lower presets in some cases.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting factor across all resolutions and presets. The CPU, Intel Core i7-13700K, has a benchmark profile that places it in the 89th percentile versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46881. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 with a delta of -0.2%, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 with a delta of -0.3%, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX with a delta of 0.5%. These are all high-performance processors, and the i7-13700K’s 16 cores, 24 threads, and boost clock of 5.40 GHz would not be challenged by a 2016 horror title. In contrast, the Arc B370 has a percentile rank of only 5 versus all GPUs, with a single recorded 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184. Its nearest rivals are older discrete GPUs like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (delta -0.2%), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (delta -0.5%), and AMD Radeon HD 7650M (delta -0.7%). This GPU is designed for integrated use, with a 25 W TDP and system-shared memory, which explains its limited frame delivery.

The scaling between resolutions confirms this GPU-bound behavior. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 96 at 1080p to 68 at 1440p to 43 at 4K. This is a reduction of 29% from 1080p to 1440p and another 37% from 1440p to 4K. Such steep declines are typical of a graphics solution that is overwhelmed by pixel count, not a CPU that would handle these resolutions with ease. Similarly, at High settings, the averages are 64 at 1080p, 46 at 1440p, and 29 at 4K, showing a consistent pattern of roughly 28% to 37% drops per resolution step. The CPU’s role is therefore negligible in determining these frame rates; the recorded data shows no evidence of CPU bottlenecking, as the frame rates scale inversely with resolution in a manner consistent with pure GPU throughput limits.

The preset scaling further supports this. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra reduces the average FPS from 96 to 40, a 58% decline. At 1440p, the same preset change reduces from 68 to 29, a 57% decline. At 4K, it reduces from 43 to 18, a 58% decline. The consistency of this percentage reduction across resolutions indicates that the GPU’s shading units, texture units, and raster operations (40 TMUs and 20 ROPs) are the constraining resources. The i7-13700K’s 30 MB of shared L3 cache and high single-thread scores (for example, 2116 in Cinebench R23 single-core) would easily handle the game’s logic and physics, but the Arc B370’s 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is simply insufficient for higher presets. In short, the CPU has ample headroom, while the GPU is saturated at every tested configuration above Low at 1440p.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i7-13700K’s nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, are the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX, and Intel Xeon w3-2535. The Ryzen 9 5900 has an average score of 46971, which is 0.2% lower than the i7-13700K’s 46881. The Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022, 0.3% lower. The Ryzen 9 7845HX scores 46654, 0.5% higher. The Xeon w3-2535 scores 46653, also 0.5% higher. These deltas are all within one percent, meaning that swapping the i7-13700K for any of these processors would have virtually no effect on Downfall’s frame rates, given that the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 46881 and its 89th percentile rank indicate that it is a top-tier processor, but in this specific game pairing, its performance advantage over these rivals is irrelevant to the measured FPS.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B370’s nearest rivals are all older or lower-performance parts. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 has an average score of 1186, which is 0.2% higher than the Arc B370’s 1184. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, 0.5% higher. The AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, 0.7% higher. The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, which is 1.4% lower. These deltas are all small, and the percentile rank of 5 places the Arc B370 in the bottom tier of the database’s GPU rankings. In practical terms, any of these rival GPUs would produce similar frame rates in Downfall, meaning the experience would be equally limited at 4K and only marginally playable at lower resolutions. The Arc B370’s system-shared memory and 25 W TDP are the defining characteristics, and its rivals, while older, share similar performance envelopes. Users seeking higher FPS would need to consider a different GPU class entirely, as none of these near rivals offer a meaningful improvement.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset meets the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest average FPS is 43 on Low settings, but this falls well short of playable. The verdict data lists no playable settings for 4K, and the best settings field is null, confirming that users should avoid this resolution for smooth gameplay. Even the Low preset, which is the least demanding, cannot sustain playable frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only playable option, with an average FPS of 68. This exceeds the 60 FPS threshold by 13%. Medium settings average 56 FPS, which is below the threshold, and High and Ultra are progressively worse at 46 and 29 FPS, respectively. Therefore, the best settings for 1440p are Low, and the recorded data shows that this is the single configuration that clears the playable bar.

At 1920x1080, the situation is more favorable. The High preset averages 64 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and is listed as the best playable setting. Medium averages 78 FPS, Low averages 96 FPS, and Ultra averages 40 FPS, which is not playable. The High preset offers the highest visual quality among the playable options, and the data shows that it maintains an average FPS of 64, which is only 4 FPS above the threshold. Users who prefer higher frame rates could choose Medium (78 FPS) or Low (96 FPS), but High is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS.

The Verdict

The question of whether this PC can run Downfall has a nuanced answer based on the recorded measurements. At 3840x2160, the answer is no: none of the presets reach 60 FPS, with the best average being 43 FPS on Low. The verdict data explicitly lists no playable settings for 4K. At 2560x1440, the answer is a qualified yes: the Low preset averages 68 FPS, which clears the threshold, but all other presets fall below 60 FPS. The verdict lists Low as the only playable setting at 1440p. At 1920x1080, the answer is a clearer yes: High, Medium, and Low presets all average 64 FPS or higher, with High being the best playable setting at 64 FPS. Ultra, however, averages 40 FPS and is not playable.

In practical terms, this combination can run Downfall smoothly only at 1080p with settings up to High, or at 1440p with the Low preset. The game’s 2016 release date means it is not graphically demanding by modern standards, but the Arc B370’s integrated-class performance limits the experience. The CPU is more than capable, but the GPU’s 5th percentile ranking versus all GPUs is the decisive factor. The data shows a clear pattern: 1080p is the only resolution where multiple presets are playable, and even there, the Ultra preset is off-limits. For a horror game that relies on atmosphere and pacing, the 64 FPS average at 1080p High would provide a stable experience, but users expecting 4K or high-refresh 1440p would be disappointed.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core i7-13700K and Intel Arc B370 ranks 3429 out of 3716 tested combinations in the database for Downfall. This places it in the bottom 8% of all combos, which is consistent with the GPU’s low percentile rank of 5. The rank reflects the overall performance ceiling imposed by the graphics solution, despite the CPU’s high standing. The i7-13700K’s 89th percentile CPU rank and its average benchmark score of 46881 are irrelevant to this game-specific ranking, as the frame rates are GPU-limited. The combo rank of 3429 out of 3716 means that only 287 tested combinations perform worse in this game, and the vast majority of systems with dedicated GPUs would outperform this pairing.

The disparity between the CPU’s strength and the GPU’s weakness is the defining feature of this rank. In the database, combos are ranked by measured FPS, and the Arc B370’s system-shared memory and low shading unit count (1280) cannot deliver playable performance at higher resolutions. The rank also suggests that users with this CPU would benefit significantly from pairing it with a stronger GPU, as the processor has ample headroom. However, based solely on the recorded data, this specific combo is near the bottom of the rankings for Downfall, with only a narrow set of playable configurations at 1080p and 1440p Low. The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU’s limitations, not the CPU’s capabilities, and it accurately reflects the measured FPS across all resolutions and presets.