Downfall

The Intel Core i7-14700KF and Intel Arc B570 combination delivers a highly playable experience in Downfall at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K requiring a settings compromise. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy tied directly to resolution and preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination is overwhelmingly capable. With Low settings, the average frame rate hits 163 FPS, which is well beyond the 60 FPS playable threshold. Moving to Medium yields an average of 133 FPS, with a minimum of 113 FPS and a maximum of 153 FPS. High settings produce an average of 109 FPS. Even the most demanding preset, Ultra, maintains an average of 68 FPS, staying above the playable threshold. This makes 1080p the only resolution where every preset is viable.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but requires more selectivity. The Low preset averages 116 FPS. Medium averages 95 FPS, with a minimum of 81 FPS and a maximum of 110 FPS. High settings deliver an average of 78 FPS. However, Ultra drops to an average of 49 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The data indicates that 1440p users should stick to High or lower for a consistently smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. Low settings produce an average of 72 FPS, which is the only playable preset at this resolution. Medium averages 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS, placing it just under the playable threshold. High drops to 49 FPS, and Ultra falls to 30 FPS. The step from Low to Medium at 4K is a 13 FPS average loss, while the jump to Ultra from High is a 19 FPS average loss, indicating a steep scaling curve at higher presets.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate a shift in bottleneck behavior across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the high frame rates—especially the 163 FPS Low average—suggest the Intel Core i7-14700KF’s strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6235) is sufficient to keep the Intel Arc B570 fed. The GPU’s role is less dominant here, as the frame rate scales more with preset changes than with resolution alone.

At 2560x1440, the scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 67 FPS average difference (116 to 49), which points to the GPU becoming a more significant factor. The CPU’s multi-core headroom (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44167) is not stressed by this horror title, so the decrease in performance is attributable to the GPU’s rendering load.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the bottleneck. The average frame rate at Ultra (30 FPS) is less than half of the Low preset average (72 FPS). This 42 FPS gap is far larger than the 28 FPS gap seen between Low and Ultra at 1440p, confirming that the Arc B570’s 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are saturated at 4K. The CPU’s role diminishes entirely, as even the lowest preset cannot push the GPU to its limit at this resolution.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the CPU’s average benchmark score of 70163, the nearest rivals are all within a 1% delta. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (avgScore 69996, deltaPct 0.2) is essentially a performance twin. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (avgScore 69875, deltaPct 0.4) and AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (avgScore 69515, deltaPct 0.9) are also statistically identical in synthetic tests. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K (avgScore 70879, deltaPct -1) is the closest above, but the difference is negligible in real-world gaming. For Downfall, any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in the tested scenarios.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B570’s average score of 20556 places it alongside some unexpected names. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (avgScore 20534, deltaPct 0.1) is the closest match, despite being a laptop part. The Intel Arc A750 (avgScore 20582, deltaPct -0.1) is the direct predecessor and would behave within a fraction of a percent. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (avgScore 20480, deltaPct 0.4) and AMD Radeon R9 M390X (avgScore 20662, deltaPct -0.5) are also listed as near equivalents, though their older architectures may show different driver-level behavior in a 2016 title like Downfall. In practice, the Arc A750 is the most likely alternative for a desktop user.

The Verdict

This PC can run Downfall comfortably, but the definition of "run" depends on resolution. The data shows that the 1920x1080 resolution clears the 60 FPS playable threshold at every preset, with the best playable settings being Ultra at 68 FPS average. At 2560x1440, the combination is playable at High, Low, and Medium presets, with High offering the best visual quality at 78 FPS average. The Ultra preset at 1440p is not recommended, as it averages 49 FPS.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset clears the 60 FPS threshold, averaging 72 FPS. The Medium preset falls just short at 59 FPS, making it a borderline option for those who prioritize visuals over a strict frame rate target. For a horror game where smoothness matters for atmosphere, the Low preset at 4K is the safe choice. The verdict is clear: this is a 1080p and 1440p machine for Downfall, with 4K reserved for reduced settings.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Downfall at 60 FPS on Ultra settings?*

A: Only at 1920x1080, where the average FPS is 68. At 2560x1440 Ultra, the average drops to 49 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Ultra it falls to 30 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p?

A: The High preset, which averages 78 FPS. It is the highest preset that maintains an average above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important at 4K?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck at 3840x2160. The frame rate drops from 72 FPS on Low to 30 FPS on Ultra, a 42 FPS difference, while the CPU’s performance is ample for this title.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to the Arc A750?

A: Their average benchmark scores are nearly identical: 20556 for the B570 and 20582 for the A750, a delta of -0.1%. In Downfall, they would produce virtually the same frame rates.

Q: What is the playable threshold for this game?

A: The data uses a 60 FPS playable threshold. Any average frame rate at or above that value is considered playable.

Q: Does the 10 GB VRAM limit performance at 4K?

A: The data shows a steep decline at 3840x2160, with the Ultra preset averaging 30 FPS. This suggests the GPU’s memory and bandwidth are saturated at that resolution, though the exact cause is not isolated in the facts.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all tested combinations in the database, this pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2988 out of 3716 combos for Downfall. This places it in the lower half of the field, which aligns with the measured data: the GPU is a mid-range part (65th percentile among all GPUs) that excels at lower resolutions but struggles at 4K Ultra. The CPU, by contrast, is a high-end part (94th percentile among all CPUs) that is not the limiting factor here. The ranking reflects the GPU’s performance ceiling, not the CPU’s capability. For a game from 2016, this rank is acceptable for 1080p and 1440p play, but it is not a top-tier 4K setup.