Downfall

The data for Downfall on this Intel Core i7-14700F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 combination reveals a system that is surprisingly capable at lower resolutions but begins to show its limits as pixel count climbs. The measured FPS across the board paints a clear picture of a GPU-bound scenario, where the RX 6600's performance ceiling is the primary constraint. The i7-14700F, with its strong multi-core and single-core scores, provides ample headroom, making the graphics card the deciding factor in how this game plays at each setting tier.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo is thoroughly playable at every preset. The Low setting delivers an average of 178.1 FPS, a figure that drops to 145.6 FPS on Medium. The High preset still maintains a smooth 119.5 FPS, and even the most demanding Ultra setting stays comfortably above the playable threshold at 75.3 FPS. The scaling is steep but predictable, with the jump from Low to Ultra costing roughly half the frame rate, yet never threatening the 60 FPS line.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance curve becomes more pronounced. The Low preset produces 125.3 FPS, which remains excellent. Medium follows at 105.1 FPS, and High still manages a robust 83.2 FPS. However, the Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 49.8 FPS, falling below the playable threshold. This is the first clear sign that the RX 6600's 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus are struggling with the higher pixel count combined with the most demanding settings.

At 3840x2160, the story changes significantly. The Low preset is the only option that provides a clearly smooth experience at 80 FPS. Medium drops to 66.4 FPS, which is still above 60 but closer to the edge. High falls to 51.1 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 32.9 FPS, making it unplayable for smooth motion. The data shows a clear degradation curve where each step up in resolution and quality has a compounding effect on the frame rate.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate this game is heavily GPU-bound for this particular pairing. The i7-14700F is a high-end desktop processor with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and a single-core score of 4958, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. Its compute potential is far beyond what the RX 6600 can feed. The GPU, by contrast, sits in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 19036.

The evidence for the GPU being the bottleneck is in the resolution scaling. When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on the High preset, the average FPS drops from 119.5 to 83.2, a reduction of about 30%. This is a classic sign of pixel-fill-rate limits. The CPU is not the constraint here, as its performance would not degrade so sharply with a mere increase in resolution. The same pattern holds for 3840x2160, where the High preset yields only 51.1 FPS.

At lower resolutions like 1080p, the CPU's strength becomes more relevant, as it can push high frame rates without being starved by the GPU. The 178.1 FPS at Low settings suggests the i7-14700F is capable of feeding the RX 6600 to its maximum output. However, the CPU's influence wanes as resolution increases, because the GPU's workload grows faster than the CPU's. The conclusion is that for this game, the RX 6600 is the limiting factor at all resolutions above 1080p, and the i7-14700F is effectively a silent partner that never becomes a liability.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this specific CPU and GPU pairing at rank 2852 out of 3716 tested combos for Downfall. This is a low-mid tier ranking, indicating that while the system is capable of running the game, it is not among the stronger configurations. The rank reflects the GPU's modest position in the overall hierarchy more than the CPU's strength. Given the i7-14700F's high percentile ranking, the combo's overall rank is dragged down by the RX 6600.

This ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data. At 1080p, the combo performs well, but the rank of 2852 suggests that many other systems will outperform it, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU's weaknesses are exposed. The system is not a top performer, but it is also far from the bottom. It sits in the middle of the pack, capable of handling the game at 1080p and 1440p with adjusted settings, but it will struggle to compete with systems featuring higher-tier GPUs. The rank is a useful summary statistic, but the FPS data provides a more actionable view of what to expect in practice.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context for what other hardware would behave similarly. For the i7-14700F, the closest competitors are the Intel Xeon 6505P (with a deltaPct of -0.2), the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 (0.3), the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (0.6), and the AMD EPYC 7313P (0.8). These processors have average benchmark scores within a fraction of a percent of the i7-14700F, meaning they would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Downfall. The Ryzen 9 7900X is the most relevant consumer alternative, offering similar compute power for gaming.

On the GPU side, the RX 6600's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 (0.0 deltaPct), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (-0.1), the NVIDIA Tesla K20m (-0.3), and the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation (0.4). These cards have nearly identical average benchmark scores to the RX 6600. The RTX 4050 Mobile is a notable comparison, as it suggests a modern laptop GPU could match this desktop card's performance. The Quadro K6000 and Tesla K20m are older workstation cards that, while dated, offer similar frame rates in this game. A system with any of these GPUs paired with a comparable CPU would see very similar FPS numbers to those measured here.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Downfall at 1080p with all settings maxed out?

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 75.3 FPS at 1920x1080 with the Ultra preset, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1440p?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 yields an average of 83.2 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 49.8 FPS, which is below the playable threshold.

Q: Is the 4K resolution playable with this hardware?

A: Only with reduced settings. At 3840x2160, the Low preset gives 80 FPS and Medium gives 66.4 FPS. The High preset at 51.1 FPS and Ultra at 32.9 FPS are not playable.

Q: Which component is the bottleneck for this game?

A: The data indicates the AMD Radeon RX 6600 is the limiting factor. The CPU is in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 63rd percentile, and resolution scaling shows a steep FPS drop that is characteristic of GPU limits.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This pairing ranks 2852 out of 3716 combos tested for Downfall, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spread.

Q: What other GPUs would give similar performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile, NVIDIA Quadro K6000, and NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation all have average benchmark scores within 0.4% of the RX 6600, so they would produce very similar frame rates.

The Verdict

The verdict is clear: this system can run Downfall, but the experience depends entirely on the resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, every preset is playable, including Ultra at 75.3 FPS. This is the sweet spot for this hardware. At 2560x1440, the High preset at 83.2 FPS is the best option, as Ultra falls below the 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, only Low and Medium are playable, with Medium at 66.4 FPS being the best choice. The system is not a 4K machine for this game, but it handles 1080p and 1440p with ease, provided the user is willing to adjust quality settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

For the optimal experience at each resolution, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is as follows. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 75.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, the High preset is the maximum playable option, with an average of 83.2 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the best playable setting, yielding 66.4 FPS. These settings provide the highest visual quality while maintaining a smooth frame rate, based on the measured data.