Downfall

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 produces a clear performance hierarchy across the three tested resolutions in Downfall. Measured average frame rates show the combination handles 1080p and 1440p with substantial headroom, while 4K requires careful preset selection to stay above the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 227.2 at Low settings down to 97.3 at Ultra, indicating the GPU is never the limiting factor at this resolution. Moving to 2560x1440, the spread narrows slightly, with Low producing 160 FPS and Ultra still delivering 67.5 FPS. The most demanding scenario is 3840x2160, where Ultra drops to an average of 45 FPS, while High remains playable at 69.7 FPS. These measured results confirm that the system's capability is strongly tied to resolution and preset, with no min or max frame data available to assess variance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Downfall reveals a consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, with the preset level having a compounding effect. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are exceptionally high across all settings. Low settings yield an average of 227.2 FPS, Medium produces 185.3 FPS, High reaches 153.8 FPS, and Ultra still maintains 97.3 FPS. This represents a drop of approximately 57% from Low to Ultra, showing that even the most demanding preset at 1080p leaves significant performance on the table. The absence of min and max FPS values means the analysis relies solely on averages, but these figures indicate smooth operation well beyond the 60 FPS playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the averages scale down proportionally. Low settings deliver 160 FPS, Medium follows at 130.3 FPS, High achieves 106.8 FPS, and Ultra settles at 67.5 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p reduces performance by roughly 30% at each corresponding preset, which is a typical result for a GPU with 8 GB of memory and a 128-bit bus. The Ultra preset at 1440p remains above 60 FPS, but the margin is slim, with only 7.5 FPS of headroom. This suggests that any additional background load or driver overhead could push it below the threshold, though the measured data shows it as playable.

The 4K results at 3840x2160 demonstrate the steepest performance cliff. Low settings produce an average of 98.9 FPS, Medium drops to 83.1 FPS, High falls to 69.7 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 45 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra at 4K is 24.7 FPS, which is the largest absolute difference between any two consecutive presets across all resolutions. This indicates that the Ultra preset at 4K imposes a rendering load that the RTX 4060 cannot sustain, likely due to memory bandwidth limitations and the 8 GB frame buffer being saturated. The data shows that High is the most demanding preset that remains playable at 4K, with a 9.7 FPS margin above the 60 FPS threshold.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU in this combination each have nearby rivals that would produce comparable benchmark scores, though the game performance implications differ. For the Intel Core i9-14900K, the nearest rival is the Intel Core i9-14900KF, which has an average benchmark score of 79371, representing a -0.3% delta from the 14900K's 79097. This indicates the two processors are virtually identical in synthetic workloads, and in Downfall, the 14900KF would likely produce nearly identical FPS figures. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus scores 79574, a -0.6% delta, meaning it is also essentially equivalent. The AMD EPYC 7413 at 80041 shows a -1.2% delta, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 at 77740 is 1.7% slower. None of these differences exceed 2%, so any of these CPUs would behave similarly in this game, which appears to be GPU-bound at most settings.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4060's nearest rivals are older or integrated solutions, which is notable given its 61st percentile ranking among all GPUs. The AMD Radeon HD 7790 has an average score of 17666, just 0.2% higher than the RTX 4060's 17639. This is a surprising pairing, as the HD 7790 is a much older architecture, but the benchmark data places them close. The AMD Radeon 780M integrated graphics score 17588, a 0.3% delta, while the AMD Radeon Pro 560 at 17551 and Pro 460 at 17509 are 0.5% and 0.7% slower, respectively. These deltas are all under 1%, meaning that in Downfall, any of these GPUs would produce nearly identical average FPS. However, the RTX 4060's feature set, such as DirectX 12 Ultimate support and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, may offer advantages beyond raw frame rates that these benchmark scores do not capture.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the best settings are defined as the highest preset that maintains an average FPS at or above the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset qualifies with an average of 97.3 FPS. This is the most demanding option available, and it clears the threshold by 37.3 FPS, providing substantial margin for demanding scenes. The data indicates that all four presets at 1080p are playable, with Low at 227.2 FPS being the fastest but not necessary for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also qualifies, with an average of 67.5 FPS. This is the best settings choice because it offers the highest visual quality while staying above 60 FPS, albeit with a smaller margin of 7.5 FPS. The High preset at 106.8 FPS would be a safer choice if frame rate consistency is a concern, but based on the measured averages, Ultra is playable. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset falls to 45 FPS, which is below the threshold. The best playable setting is High, with an average of 69.7 FPS. This provides a 9.7 FPS margin over the 60 FPS floor, making it the recommended choice for 4K. Medium at 83.1 FPS and Low at 98.9 FPS are also playable but offer diminishing returns in visual quality relative to High.

The Verdict

Based on the verdict by resolution data, this PC can run Downfall at all three tested resolutions, but the playable preset range varies. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable, with Ultra delivering 97.3 FPS. This is a definitive yes for 1080p gaming, with no compromise needed. At 2560x1440, the same four presets are playable, but Ultra's 67.5 FPS is close to the threshold. The system clears 60 FPS at Ultra, so 1440p is fully supported, though users who prioritize frame rate stability might prefer High at 106.8 FPS for a larger buffer.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is conditional. The Ultra preset fails to reach 60 FPS, averaging 45 FPS, which is 15 FPS below the playable threshold. However, High settings achieve 69.7 FPS, Medium reaches 83.1 FPS, and Low produces 98.9 FPS. The playable settings list includes High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best. Therefore, the system can run Downfall at 4K, but only if the user accepts High as the maximum preset. The overall assessment is that this combination is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p at maximum settings, and for 4K at High settings, making it a versatile performer for this horror title.

CPU and GPU Roles

The relative importance of the CPU and GPU in Downfall shifts with resolution, as indicated by the scaling between presets and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 227.2 at Low to 97.3 at Ultra, a difference of 129.9 FPS. This wide spread suggests that the GPU is heavily utilized, as changing presets directly impacts rendering load. The CPU, with its 24 cores and 32 threads, is unlikely to bottleneck at 1080p given its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39399.5 and single-core score of 2262.5. The data points to the GPU being the primary driver of performance at this resolution, with the CPU providing ample headroom.

At 2560x1440, the FPS spread narrows to 92.5 FPS between Low at 160 and Ultra at 67.5. The absolute values are lower than at 1080p, which is expected as the GPU works harder to fill more pixels. The CPU's role remains secondary, as the 14900K's Passmark single-thread score of 4697 indicates strong per-core performance that can feed the GPU effectively. At 3840x2160, the spread between Low at 98.9 and Ultra at 45 is 53.9 FPS, the smallest absolute difference of the three resolutions. This compression suggests that the GPU is becoming the overwhelming bottleneck, with the CPU's influence diminishing as resolution increases. The 4K Ultra result of 45 FPS likely reflects the RTX 4060's memory bandwidth limit of 272.0 GB/s and its 8 GB frame buffer, rather than any CPU constraint. The data shows a clear trend: at lower resolutions, the GPU's preset scaling matters more, while at higher resolutions, the GPU's absolute capability becomes the sole limiting factor.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 3840x2160?

A: The High preset is the most demanding option that stays playable, with an average of 69.7 FPS. The Ultra preset falls below the 60 FPS threshold at 45 FPS.

*Q: Can this system run Downfall at 2560x1440 on Ultra settings?*

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 2560x1440 achieves an average of 67.5 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the best settings choice for that resolution.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1920x1080?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 227.2 FPS, while Ultra averages 97.3 FPS. This represents a difference of 129.9 FPS, or roughly 2.3 times higher performance at Low.

Q: Which component is the bottleneck at 3840x2160?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. The FPS spread between presets narrows to 53.9 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 45 FPS, which aligns with the RTX 4060's 8 GB memory capacity and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth rather than the CPU's capabilities.

Q: What is the average FPS at 2560x1440 on Medium settings?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 produces an average of 130.3 FPS, well above the 60 FPS threshold and providing a comfortable margin for smooth gameplay.

Q: Are all presets playable at 1920x1080?

A: Yes, all four presets—Low at 227.2 FPS, Medium at 185.3 FPS, High at 153.8 FPS, and Ultra at 97.3 FPS—exceed the 60 FPS playable threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Downfall, this pairing of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 1996 out of 3716 total combos. This places it in the 46th percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 54% of combinations deliver higher average frame rates in this game. The rank reflects the RTX 4060's position as a mid-range GPU, as evidenced by its 61st percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 95th percentile. The disparity between the CPU's high ranking and the GPU's more modest position suggests that upgrading the graphics card would yield a significant boost in Downfall performance, while the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor. The combo's rank of 1996 indicates that it is a middle-of-the-pack performer for this specific title, capable of 60 FPS at most resolutions and presets, but not among the top tier of systems. The data shows that the RTX 4060's 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus are the likely constraints, as the CPU has substantial headroom based on its benchmark scores. For users seeking higher frame rates, particularly at 4K, the data suggests that a GPU with more memory bandwidth would be the more impactful upgrade path.