Downfall

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a top-tier combination that delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Downfall, a horror title released in 2016. Benchmark data indicates this system ranks second out of 3,716 tested combos for this game. Across all tested resolutions—from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160—and all settings presets, the measured average FPS consistently exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold. The data confirms that this PC is not just capable of running the game, but is overkill for achieving maximum visual fidelity and frame rates at any resolution.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Downfall?*

A: The maximum average FPS recorded is 482, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset. This is significantly higher than the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Can this system handle 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings, the measured average FPS is 90. This is above the 60 FPS playable threshold, making 4K Ultra a fully playable configuration.

Q: How does the system perform at 2560x1440 with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the system produces an average of 282 FPS, with a minimum of 240 FPS and a maximum of 324 FPS. These figures indicate a highly fluid experience with no perceptible frame drops.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this system?

A: The lowest average FPS is 90, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with the Ultra settings preset. Even at this most demanding setting, the frame rate is 50% higher than the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700K has an average benchmark score of 69,355. This places it nearly even with its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, which scores 69,515, a delta of -0.2%. It is also 0.1% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9115.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D has a percentile rank of 92 among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 77,712, which is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, its closest competitor.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data for Downfall shows a clear pattern where the GPU is the dominant component, but the CPU still plays a significant role in determining the maximum achievable frame rates, especially at lower resolutions. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D, with its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth, is the primary driver of performance. Its benchmark scores, including a Passmark G3D score of 44,065, indicate a massive amount of graphics processing power that scales directly with the game's visual load.

At 1920x1080, the CPU's influence becomes more apparent. The game produces an average of 482 FPS on Low settings, which is a 49% increase over the 324 FPS average on High settings. This scaling suggests that at lower graphical presets, the frame rate is being limited by the CPU's ability to feed the GPU. The Intel Core i7-14700K, with 20 cores and 28 threads, has a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 33,440.5, which is substantial. However, the extreme frame rates at 1080p Low are likely pushing the limits of what the CPU's single-thread performance can handle, as indicated by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,160.

As the resolution increases to 2560x1440 and then 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops from 345 on Low to 231 on High, a 33% decrease. At 3840x2160, the same settings change yields a drop from 214 FPS on Low to 144 FPS on High, a 33% decrease as well. This consistent scaling between resolutions and presets indicates that the RTX 5090 D is being tasked with more pixel shading and rasterization work, and the CPU's role in performance diminishes relative to the GPU's workload. The data shows that while the CPU is powerful enough to avoid being a bottleneck at 4K, the GPU's raw throughput is what ultimately sets the performance ceiling.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination provides a comprehensive view of its performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. All data is directly measured, not estimated.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers staggering frame rates. The Low preset yields an average of 482 FPS. Medium settings see the average drop to 395 FPS, with a minimum of 335 and a maximum of 454 FPS. High settings produce an average of 324 FPS. The Ultra preset, while the most demanding, still achieves an average of 202 FPS. These numbers show a linear degradation in performance as graphical fidelity increases, but even the worst-case scenario at this resolution is more than triple the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains exceptionally high. The Low preset averages 345 FPS. Medium settings average 282 FPS, with a minimum of 240 and a maximum of 324 FPS. The High preset drops to an average of 231 FPS. Ultra settings deliver an average of 144 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 58% reduction in frame rate, which is expected given the increased pixel count and shader complexity, but the system maintains a very smooth experience throughout.

At 3840x2160, the system demonstrates its 4K capabilities. The Low preset still averages 214 FPS. Medium settings average 175 FPS, with a minimum of 149 and a maximum of 202 FPS. High settings produce an average of 144 FPS. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding configuration tested, yields an average of 90 FPS. This is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo, but it is still comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The data indicates that the RTX 5090 D is powerful enough to handle 4K Ultra with a 50% performance headroom over the minimum playability standard.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 2nd out of 3,716 tested combos in Downfall. This places it in the top 0.05% of all systems tested for this game. The ranking confirms the sheer performance of both components. The RTX 5090 D, with its 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, provides the graphics muscle, while the Core i7-14700K, with its 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs, ensures the system has the processing headroom to keep up.

The data shows that this combo outperforms the vast majority of systems, with only one other configuration achieving a higher score. This is not surprising given the GPU's massive 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and the CPU's high multi-core throughput. The combined benchmark scores of the CPU (69,355) and GPU (77,712) indicate a balanced, high-end pairing. The ranking confirms that for Downfall, this system is effectively a top-tier performer, capable of delivering the highest possible frame rates at any settings and resolution combination. The performance gap between this combo and the rest of the field is substantial, making it a definitive choice for players who prioritize maximum performance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For users considering alternatives to this specific CPU and GPU pairing, the nearest rival data provides insight into components that would offer similar performance levels. These are not direct substitutes but rather parts that occupy the same performance tier.

CPU Alternatives: The Intel Core i7-14700K has an average benchmark score of 69,355. Its closest rival is the AMD EPYC 9115, which scores 69,288, a mere 0.1% difference. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69,515, which is 0.2% higher than the i7-14700K. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX and AMD Ryzen 7 9700F also fall within a 1% performance delta, scoring 69,875 and 69,996, respectively. These CPUs would provide nearly identical computational performance in Downfall, ensuring that the game's frame rates would be virtually unchanged if paired with the same GPU.

GPU Alternatives: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77,712. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, which scores 76,904, a delta of 1.1%. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78,940, which is 1.6% higher. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB and 16 GB variants score 79,396 and 79,605, respectively, representing a 2.1% and 2.4% performance advantage. While these GPUs are in the same performance ballpark, they are not direct consumer equivalents. The data suggests that swapping the RTX 5090 D for one of these alternatives would result in a negligible change in frame rates, potentially varying by only a few FPS depending on the settings and resolution.

The Verdict

The benchmark data unequivocally shows that the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D can run Downfall with exceptional performance. The verdict by resolution is clear:

• 3840x2160: The system is fully playable at all settings, including Ultra. The best playable setting is Ultra, which achieves an average of 90 FPS, well above the 60 FPS threshold.
• 2560x1440: All settings presets are playable, with Ultra being the best choice. At Ultra, the average FPS is 144, which doubles the playability threshold.
• 1920x1080: Every preset is playable, and the Ultra setting delivers an average of 202 FPS. The lower presets reach frame rates of 300 FPS or more, demonstrating a massive performance surplus.

In summary, this system does not merely meet the requirements for playing Downfall—it obliterates them. The data shows that the RTX 5090 D is so powerful that even at 4K Ultra, the game runs at 90 FPS, which is higher than what many systems can achieve at 1080p. For players with high-refresh-rate 4K monitors or those who prefer maximum graphical quality, this combo is an ideal choice. The only scenario where this system would not be considered optimal is if a user is aiming for frame rates exceeding 200 FPS at 4K, which is an unrealistic target for most games. For Downfall, this hardware provides a flawless, high-fidelity experience at any resolution.