Downfall

Can Intel Core i7-14700F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 run Downfall? The measured data says yes, decisively, across most of the tested spectrum. This pairing of a 20-core Raptor Lake Refresh processor with an Ampere-generation GPU delivers playable frame rates even at 4K, though the most demanding preset at that resolution dips below the 60 FPS threshold. The benchmark results reveal a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU's substantial multi-threaded headroom keeps performance consistent at lower settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The FPS measurements for this combination span three resolutions and four quality presets, providing a clear picture of performance scaling. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the system produces exceptionally high frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS reaches 299, which is effectively at the ceiling for many displays. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 245 FPS, with a minimum of 208 FPS and a maximum of 282 FPS, indicating smooth performance with minimal frame-time variance. High settings yield 201 FPS on average, while Ultra settings still deliver a robust 125 FPS average. Notably, the min and max values are only reported for the Medium preset at this resolution, suggesting that the other presets were tested with a simpler measurement methodology.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, the performance remains very strong, though the scaling shows the expected impact of increased pixel count. Low settings produce an average of 214 FPS, which is still remarkably high. Medium settings average 175 FPS, with recorded minimum and maximum values of 149 FPS and 201 FPS respectively. High settings deliver 143 FPS on average, and Ultra settings manage a very playable 90 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 124 FPS, highlighting how much headroom the GPU has when settings are reduced.

At 3840x2160, the demands of 4K rendering become apparent. Low settings still achieve an average of 133 FPS, which is impressive for a 2016 horror title. Medium settings average 109 FPS, with a minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 125 FPS, showing that even the lower bounds remain comfortably above 60 FPS. High settings average 89 FPS, but the Ultra preset falls to an average of 56 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold. This is the only configuration in the entire dataset where the system fails to maintain playable performance, though the margin is narrow. The pattern across resolutions shows that the RTX 3080's 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth are sufficient for most scenarios, but the Ultra preset at 4K pushes the hardware past its limit.

Best Settings per Resolution

For players targeting a consistent 60 FPS or higher, the optimal configuration varies by resolution. At 1920x1080, the system can handle the Ultra preset without issue, averaging 125 FPS. This is the most demanding preset available, and it clears the playability threshold by more than double. There is no reason to compromise on visual quality at this resolution, as even the heaviest settings leave substantial performance headroom.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also remains the best choice, with an average of 90 FPS. This is 30 FPS above the playability threshold, providing a comfortable margin for demanding scenes or minor frame-time spikes. The data shows that the system is not stressed by 1440p Ultra, making it the ideal balance of visual fidelity and performance.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. The Ultra preset averages only 56 FPS, which fails to meet the 60 FPS requirement. The best playable setting is High, which averages 89 FPS. This means 4K users must sacrifice the highest quality tier to maintain smooth gameplay, but the drop from Ultra to High is well worth it, as the frame rate nearly doubles. The Medium preset also works, averaging 109 FPS, but High offers superior visuals while still providing a large safety margin above 60 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU's role diminishes as pixel count increases. Comparing the scaling between 1920x1080 and 3840x2160 at the same settings reveals the GPU's load. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 299 at 1080p to 214 at 1440p and then to 133 at 4K. This is a 55.5% reduction from 1080p to 4K, which is a typical pattern for a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, is not the limiting factor here, as even the most demanding CPU workloads in a horror game are unlikely to stress this processor.

The Intel Core i7-14700F's benchmark scores support this interpretation. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35,122 and single-core score of 4,958 indicate a processor with ample headroom for gaming. The PassMark multi-thread score of 41,317 further confirms its capability. At 1080p, where frame rates are extremely high, the CPU must feed the GPU quickly enough, but the data shows no signs of CPU limitation—the 299 FPS average at Low settings is near the practical limit for many display refresh rates.

The RTX 3080's performance characteristics are more telling. Its PassMark G3D score of 25,086 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4,407 place it in the 68th percentile among all GPUs. The GPU's FP32 compute of 29.77 TFLOPS and texture rate of 465.1 GTexel/s are substantial, but the 4K Ultra results show that even this hardware has limits. The scaling from High to Ultra at 4K is particularly revealing: the average FPS drops from 89 to 56, a 37% reduction. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are disproportionately expensive at 4K, likely related to the 68 RT cores and 272 tensor cores being fully utilized.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context for what other hardware might behave similarly. For the Intel Core i7-14700F, the closest competitor is the Intel Xeon 6505P, which has an average benchmark score of 53,701, just 0.2% lower than the i7-14700F's 53,620 average. This means a system with the Xeon 6505P would likely produce nearly identical frame rates in Downfall, assuming the GPU remains the same. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is another close alternative, with an average score of 53,288, representing a 0.6% delta. The AMD EPYC 7313P, with a score of 53,206, is 0.8% behind, and the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 is 0.3% ahead at 53,469. These differences are negligible in real-world gaming, so any of these CPUs paired with an RTX 3080 would deliver comparable results.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are more varied. The NVIDIA P106-100 has an average score of 23,249, which is 0.3% lower than the RTX 3080's 23,172 average—a statistical tie. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23,250, also 0.3% lower, while the AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23,273, 0.4% lower. The AMD Radeon R9 M290X rounds out the group with a score of 23,276, 0.4% lower. These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, meaning any of these GPUs would produce essentially the same frame rates as the RTX 3080 in this game. However, it is notably this is a 2016 title, so the absolute performance levels are high across the board, and these rivals would all likely maintain playable frame rates at most settings.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Downfall, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 1,057th out of 3,716 total combos. This places it in the top 28.4% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing for a mid-to-high-end configuration from 2024 and 2020 respectively. The rank reflects the system's ability to handle the game's demands, and the measured FPS data confirms that it outperforms the vast majority of tested hardware. The fact that it sits in the top third of all combinations, despite the GPU being from an older generation, underscores the efficiency of the RTX 3080 architecture and the raw power of the i7-14700F.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Downfall at 4K with maximum settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 56, which falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The best playable 4K setting is High, which averages 89 FPS.

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 90 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. This is the most demanding preset that remains playable at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F has an average benchmark score of 53,620, which is just 0.2% lower than the Intel Xeon 6505P's score of 53,701. This difference is negligible in gaming performance.

Q: Is the GPU performance consistent across resolutions?

A: No. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low settings shows a drop from 299 FPS to 133 FPS, a 55.5% reduction. This indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1080p Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 208 FPS, with a maximum of 282 FPS and an average of 245 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: It ranks 1,057th out of 3,716 tested combinations, placing it in the top 28.4% of all systems benchmarked for Downfall.

The Verdict

The verdict is clear: this PC can run Downfall, and it does so exceptionally well at most settings. At 1920x1080, every preset including Ultra is playable, with the Ultra setting averaging 125 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 90 FPS, again clearing the 60 FPS threshold with room to spare. The only limitation appears at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, where the average drops to 56 FPS. For 4K users, the High preset is the best option, delivering 89 FPS on average. The system's 1057th rank out of 3716 combos confirms its position as a capable gaming setup for this title, and the measured data shows no other areas of concern. The combination of the i7-14700F's high single-thread performance and the RTX 3080's substantial rasterization power makes this a reliable choice for Downfall, provided the user is willing to step down from Ultra to High at 4K.