Downfall

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers overwhelming performance in Downfall, clearing the 60 FPS playability threshold at every resolution and preset combination tested. The data shows that this combo is not merely playable but excessively powerful, with even the most demanding Ultra preset at 4K producing an average of 84.1 FPS. Benchmarks indicate a system that is effectively bottlenecked by the game engine at lower resolutions, rather than by any component in this pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination presents a clear hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are exceptionally high across the board. The Low preset yields an average of 456.1 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure for this entire dataset. Moving up the settings ladder, the Medium preset achieves 373.1 FPS, while the High preset delivers 307.7 FPS. The most demanding Ultra preset at this resolution still produces an average of 195.2 FPS. These figures suggest that at 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound or engine-limited, as the scaling between presets does not reflect a pure GPU workload.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains stellar but shows a predictable decline as resolution increases. The Low preset averages 328 FPS, followed by the Medium preset at 265.6 FPS and the High preset at 221.5 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p records an average of 139.8 FPS. The gap between the Low and Ultra presets at this resolution is approximately 2.35x, which is consistent with a GPU that is beginning to take on more of the rendering load compared to 1080p.

The 3840x2160 (4K) results demonstrate the RTX 5090's raw power. The Low preset still manages a formidable 203.8 FPS average. The Medium preset drops to 166.4 FPS, and the High preset further declines to 134.7 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K, which represents the absolute maximum visual fidelity tested, still maintains a robust 84.1 FPS average. This represents a 2.42x performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 4K, indicating a scaling pattern that is more GPU-intensive than at lower resolutions.

Comparing across resolutions at the same preset reveals the scaling behavior. For the Ultra preset, performance drops from 195.2 FPS at 1080p to 139.8 FPS at 1440p, a 28.4% reduction, and then to 84.1 FPS at 4K, a further 39.8% reduction from the 1440p figure. For the Low preset, the scaling is steeper percentage-wise: 456.1 FPS at 1080p falls to 328 FPS at 1440p (28.1% reduction), and then to 203.8 FPS at 4K (37.9% reduction from 1440p). This pattern suggests that the game's rendering engine scales resolution demands more aggressively on lower settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear shift in component responsibility as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the extremely high frame rates across all settings—from 456.1 FPS on Low down to 195.2 FPS on Ultra—indicate that the Intel Core i7-14700F is the primary limiting factor. The CPU, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, is capable of feeding the RTX 5090 with enough draw calls to generate these numbers, but the scaling between presets (456.1 to 195.2 FPS) suggests that the GPU is not fully saturated. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and single-core score of 4958 provide context for its ability to handle game logic and physics, but at 1080p, the rendering workload is simply too light for the RTX 5090 to be the bottleneck.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts slightly toward the GPU. The performance delta between Low (328 FPS) and Ultra (139.8 FPS) widens to a 2.35x ratio, compared to a 2.34x ratio at 1080p. This marginal change indicates that the GPU is beginning to take on a more significant role, but the absolute frame rates remain so high that the CPU still exerts considerable influence. The RTX 5090's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are more than sufficient for this resolution, and the data suggests that the game engine, rather than the hardware, is the limiting factor.

The 3840x2160 resolution is where the GPU becomes the dominant component. The scaling between Low (203.8 FPS) and Ultra (84.1 FPS) is a 2.42x ratio, the highest of any resolution tested. This indicates that the RTX 5090's shading units (21760), texture mapping units (680), and render output units (176) are being fully utilized at 4K. The CPU's role diminishes as each frame requires more pixel processing. The transition from 1440p to 4K on the Ultra preset shows a 39.8% performance drop, which is primarily attributable to the GPU's pixel and texture throughput limits rather than CPU compute.

The data also reveals that the game is not particularly demanding on modern hardware. Even at 4K Ultra, the combo produces 84.1 FPS, which is well above the playable threshold of 60 FPS. This suggests that the CPU's PassMark multi-thread score of 41317 and the GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 18355 are both far beyond the requirements of this 2016 title. The frame rate differences between resolutions point to a system where the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p, a balanced workload at 1440p, and the GPU becomes the limiting factor at 4K.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the best settings that remain at or above 60 FPS are the Ultra preset, which delivers an average of 195.2 FPS. This is the most demanding preset available, and the data shows it clears the playability threshold by a massive margin. There is no reason to reduce settings at this resolution, as even the most visually intensive configuration produces frame rates that far exceed display refresh rates.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is again the best choice, with an average of 139.8 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a significant buffer for demanding scenes or background tasks. The scaling from the High preset (221.5 FPS) to Ultra (139.8 FPS) represents a 36.9% performance cost for the maximum visual fidelity, but the resulting frame rate remains excellent for competitive or immersive play.

For 3840x2160, the Ultra preset remains the recommended setting, delivering an average of 84.1 FPS. This is the only resolution where the Ultra preset drops below 100 FPS, but it still clears the 60 FPS threshold by 40%. The High preset at 4K offers 134.7 FPS, which is higher, but the Ultra preset's 84.1 FPS is more than sufficient for a smooth experience. The data shows that this system has no need to compromise on visual quality at any resolution, as every preset tested at every resolution stays above the playable threshold.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The benchmark data shows the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 produces an average of 84.1 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS in the dataset is 456.1, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: How does the RTX 5090's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79842, which places it 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB and 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT. It trails the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X by 1.4%.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the data indicates the CPU is the primary limiting factor. The frame rates across presets (456.1 to 195.2 FPS) are so high that the rendering workload is insufficient to fully saturate the GPU.

Q: What is the playable threshold and does this combo exceed it at all settings?

A: The playable threshold is 60 FPS. The verdictByResolution data confirms that all presets at all three resolutions tested exceed this threshold, with the lowest recorded average being 84.1 FPS at 4K Ultra.

Q: How does the i7-14700F rank against other CPUs?

A: The i7-14700F has a percentile rank of 91 among all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 53620 is 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and 0.8% higher than the AMD EPYC 7313P.

The Verdict

The data unequivocally shows that this system can run Downfall at maximum settings across all tested resolutions. The verdictByResolution field lists all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—as playable at every resolution. The best settings are Ultra for all cases, with average FPS of 195.2 at 1080p, 139.8 at 1440p, and 84.1 at 4K.

This combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is overpowered for this horror title. The game's 2016 release date and the benchmark results suggest that it cannot stress either component to its limits. At 1080p, the system is clearly CPU-bound, as evidenced by the 456.1 FPS on Low settings. Even at 4K Ultra, the GPU is not pushed to its breaking point, maintaining a 40% buffer above the 60 FPS threshold.

For a player seeking the absolute best visual experience, the Ultra preset at 4K is the recommended configuration, as it offers the highest fidelity while still delivering smooth performance. The data shows no scenario where this PC fails to meet the playable threshold, making it a definitive "yes" for running Downfall at any settings combination.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Downfall, this pairing of Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 51st out of 3716 combos. This places it in the top 1.4% of all tested systems, confirming its status as a high-end configuration. The top-51 ranking is consistent with the component-level data: the CPU's 91st percentile and the GPU's 92nd percentile among their respective categories.

The ranking reflects the balanced nature of this pairing. While neither component is the absolute fastest in its class—the CPU trails the Intel Xeon 6505P by 0.2% in average benchmark score, and the GPU trails the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X by 1.4%—their combination produces frame rates that are among the highest recorded. The data shows that the i7-14700F's 20 cores and 28 threads are well-matched to the RTX 5090's massive compute throughput, avoiding significant bottlenecks at any resolution.

The gap between this combo and the number one position is likely attributable to other high-end pairings that push even higher frame rates at lower resolutions. However, for practical purposes, a rank of 51 out of 3716 means that only a small fraction of tested systems outperform this setup in Downfall. The benchmark results indicate that this combo is overkill for the game, but for users who play other titles or run demanding applications, this level of performance represents a significant investment in future-proofing.