Downfall

The Intel Core i7-13700K and Intel Arc B570 combination presents a compelling case for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Downfall, but the data reveals a sharp performance cliff at 4K. The CPU, a 16-core Raptor Lake part with a 5.40 GHz boost clock, sits in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, while the Arc B570, based on the Xe2-HPG architecture, lands in the 65th percentile for GPUs. Benchmark results show this pairing delivers playable frame rates across most settings at 1080p and 1440p, yet 4K Ultra falls well below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the only preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is Low, which achieves an average of 72 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 59 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 30 FPS, both below the playable threshold.

Q: Can this system handle Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset produces an average of 68 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the highest quality setting that remains playable at this resolution.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20556 places it within 0.5% of several competitors. It is 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, 0.1% behind the Intel Arc A750, 0.4% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, and 0.5% behind the AMD Radeon R9 M390X.

Q: What is the performance difference between the i7-13700K and its closest CPU rival?

A: The i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881, which is 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (score 46971). It is also 0.3% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 and 0.5% ahead of both the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Xeon w3-2535.

Q: What frame rates does the system achieve at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the measured average FPS is 95, with a minimum of 81 FPS and a maximum of 110 FPS. This preset is well above the 60 FPS threshold and offers a stable experience.

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for Downfall?*

A: This particular CPU and GPU combination ranks 2988 out of 3716 tested combos for this game, placing it in the lower half of all tested configurations. Despite this, it still achieves playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p across most presets.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, which delivers an average of 72 FPS. The Medium preset falls just short at 59 FPS average, making Low the only playable option at 4K.

For 2560x1440, the best playable preset is High, achieving an average of 78 FPS. The Medium preset also clears the threshold with 95 FPS average, but High offers superior visual quality while remaining comfortably above 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the system can run the most demanding preset, Ultra, at an average of 68 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available in the game and remains playable, though with less headroom than the High preset, which produces 109 FPS average.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on nearest rival data, several other CPUs and GPUs would behave similarly in Downfall. On the CPU side, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 is the closest match, with an average score just 0.2% higher than the i7-13700K. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 is nearly identical at 0.3% higher, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Xeon w3-2535 both trail by 0.5%. In practical terms, these processors should produce nearly indistinguishable frame rates in this game.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile is the nearest rival, scoring 0.1% higher than the Arc B570. The Intel Arc A750 is 0.1% lower, and the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M and AMD Radeon R9 M390X are 0.4% higher and 0.5% lower, respectively. Users coming from any of these GPUs can expect very similar performance characteristics, though the desktop-versus-mobile distinction for the RTX 3070 may introduce other variables not captured here.

The Verdict

The benchmark data clearly indicates that this system can run Downfall at playable frame rates, but with significant resolution-dependent caveats. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable, with the Ultra preset delivering 68 FPS average. At 2560x1440, the High, Medium, and Low presets all clear the 60 FPS threshold, with High offering 78 FPS average and Medium at 95 FPS.

The situation changes dramatically at 3840x2160, where only the Low preset remains playable at 72 FPS average. The Medium preset falls to 59 FPS, just below the threshold, and High and Ultra drop to 49 and 30 FPS respectively. This pattern suggests that while the system is capable of running the game well at lower resolutions, 4K gaming requires substantial settings compromises. For users targeting 1080p or 1440p, this combo is a capable performer; for 4K enthusiasts, the data indicates they would need to either accept Low settings or consider a more powerful GPU.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions and presets reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU. At 1920x1080, the CPU appears to be the more significant factor, as the frame rates remain high across all presets—from 163 FPS at Low to 68 FPS at Ultra. The relatively modest drop from Medium (133 FPS) to Ultra (68 FPS) suggests that the GPU is still handling the increased load, but the CPU's strong single-thread performance (2,116 in Cinebench R23 single-core) keeps minimum frame rates healthy.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts toward the GPU. The frame rates scale from 116 FPS at Low to 49 FPS at Ultra, with the Medium preset showing a tight range of 81-110 FPS. The i7-13700K's 16 cores and 24 threads provide ample headroom, as evidenced by its 89th percentile CPU ranking, so the GPU's 65th percentile standing becomes the limiting factor.

The 3840x2160 results confirm the GPU as the dominant bottleneck. Even at Low settings, the system only manages 72 FPS, and the Ultra preset collapses to 30 FPS. This dramatic scaling—a 42 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K compared to a 95 FPS difference at 1080p—indicates that the Arc B570's 10 GB GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the demands of 4K rendering with high-quality settings. The GPU's pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s simply cannot sustain the workload at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of all tested combinations for Downfall, this pairing of the i7-13700K and Arc B570 ranks 2988 out of 3716 combinations. This places it in the 20th percentile of tested configurations, meaning roughly 80% of combos outperform it. The ranking reflects the Arc B570's mid-tier GPU positioning rather than any CPU deficiency—the i7-13700K's 89th percentile CPU score suggests it is well above average, but the GPU's 65th percentile standing drags the overall combination down.

This rank is somewhat counterintuitive given the playable frame rates achieved at 1080p and 1440p. The data suggests that while this combo is capable for mainstream gaming, it falls short of the high-end configurations that dominate the top of the rankings. Users seeking top-tier performance in Downfall would need to pair a stronger GPU with this CPU, as the data indicates the processor has significant headroom left untapped by the Arc B570.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average 72 FPS (playable)
• Medium: Average 59 FPS, minimum 50 FPS, maximum 68 FPS (not playable)
• High: Average 49 FPS (not playable)
• Ultra: Average 30 FPS (not playable)

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average 116 FPS (playable)
• Medium: Average 95 FPS, minimum 81 FPS, maximum 110 FPS (playable)
• High: Average 78 FPS (playable)
• Ultra: Average 49 FPS (not playable)

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average 163 FPS (playable)
• Medium: Average 133 FPS, minimum 113 FPS, maximum 153 FPS (playable)
• High: Average 109 FPS (playable)
• Ultra: Average 68 FPS (playable)

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the system maintains 60+ FPS averages across all settings at 1080p, most settings at 1440p, and only the lowest setting at 4K. The Medium preset at 1440p shows particularly stable performance with a narrow 81-110 FPS range, indicating good frame pacing. At 1080p, the Medium preset's minimum of 113 FPS suggests the CPU is delivering consistent frame delivery without significant dips. The 4K results, however, show the system's limitations, with the Ultra preset at 30 FPS representing a clear hard ceiling for this configuration.